3.5 m doses of Sinopharm expected by next week

A donation of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines from the Government of China and a purchase of three million doses of the same vaccine are expected to arrive in the island by next week.

In tweets posted yesterday, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka stated that a donation of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm will be made to Sri Lanka and the consignment will likely be handed over on Tuesday, 25 May via a SriLankan Airlines flight.

Meanwhile, the Department of Government Information yesterday stated that an order has been placed for three million doses of Sinopharm from China. According to Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga the doses will arrive in the island next week. A total of 14 million doses of Sinopharm have been ordered from China.

Sri Lanka received a donation of 600,000 doses of Sinopharm from China on 31 March and 474,685 persons have received the first dose of Sinopharm to date. This includes 2,865 Chinese nationals working in Sri Lanka who received the first dose of the vaccine, of which 2,435 persons have received the second dose as well.

On Wednesday, 16,845 persons received the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine, 7,275 persons received the second dose of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, and 17 persons received the Sputnik V vaccine.

Of the 925,242 persons who received the first dose of AstraZeneca, 304,961 persons have received both doses. The first dose of Sputnik V has been administered to 14,934 persons.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry Media Spokesperson Dr. Hemantha Herath yesterday requested the public to refrain from paying for COVID-19 vaccination as measures are being taken to provide the vaccine to all persons in the country.

He explained that the involvement of middlemen in the vaccination program could result in persons being required to make payments.