China has decided to donate 300,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic following a recent request by the Sri Lankan Government.

The vaccine doses are expected to be handed over to Sri Lanka in mid-February after the relevant procedures at both ends are completed.

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka, issuing a statement, said that the production capacity of the vaccine is still limited as there is a huge domestic and international demand. 

The vaccine is manufactured by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd (Sinopharm) – a leading vaccine manufacturer in the world with a revenue of around RMB Yuan 400 billion ($ 62 billion) in 2018.

The Sinopharm vaccine has already passed phase three-trials in several countries with 79% to 86% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 infection, 99.52% capability in neutralising antibodies and 100% ability in preventing severe and moderate disease. As an inactivated vaccine, it better ensures the safety of vaccines and could be easily stored and transported at a regular fridge temperature (2 to 8 degrees Celsius).

The vaccine has received approval for public use in the UAE, Serbia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Pakistan, China and etc. By 26 January, over 20 million Sinopharm doses have been administered across the world with no reports of serious adverse reactions. 

Foreign State leaders including Seychelles President, Bahrain Prime Minister, Jordan Prime Minister, the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Serbian Health Minister etc. have been received the jabs.

However, the Embassy extended their most sincere solidarity and best wishes to all Sri Lankans and reiterated China’s commitment to jointly build a community of shared future for mankind. China and Sri Lanka enjoy historical friendship and have always been strongly supportive of each other including the joint fight against COVID-19.

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