Second dose coverage of over-30 population nears 100%

Second dose vaccine coverage of persons over the age of 30 has risen to 99.1%, Epidemiology Unit data shows.

Second dose coverage is below 70% in only two districts in the country, with 61.2% coverage in Kilinochchi and 69.9% coverage in Vavuniya.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 48.5% of the 20 to 29 age group has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 12.7% has received the second dose as well.

Vaccination of children with comorbidities and cognitive impairments in the 12 to 19 age category began across the Western Province yesterday. According to Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera, 400 children have been vaccinated and severe side effects have not been reported yet. He urged parents to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19.

Explaining that it is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that has been recommended for children in the 12 to 19 age group, Paediatric Neurologist Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said: “We will receive a million vaccine doses by next week. Vaccination of those aged 19, 18, 17 and so on will commence, following which, the 12 to 15 age group will be vaccinated. This will take another month.”

A total of 14,391,759 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 11,610,686 persons have received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

This takes into account the 34,188 persons vaccinated on Sunday.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 15,958 persons received the Sinopharm first dose on Sunday and 6,700 persons received the Sinopharm second dose on Sunday. In total, 11,528,574 persons have received the first dose of Sinopharm and 9,195,251 persons have received the second dose as well.

Twenty-seven persons received the first dose of AstraZeneca on Sunday and 4,132 persons received the second dose of the vaccine. The first dose of AstraZeneca has been administered to 1,455,310 persons in total, of which 1,210,623 persons have received the second dose as well.

The first dose of Moderna has been administered to 790,970 persons and the second dose has been administered to 759,673 persons. This includes persons vaccinated on Sunday, when 2,767 persons received the first dose of Moderna and eight persons received the second dose of the vaccine.

The first dose of Pfizer was administered to 619 persons on Sunday and 63 persons received the second dose of the vaccine on Sunday. In total, 457,816 persons have received the first dose and 291,474 persons have received the second dose of Pfizer.

The first dose of Sputnik V has been administered to 159,089 persons, of which 153,665 persons have received the second dose as well. This includes the 3,914 persons who received the second dose of Sputnik V on Sunday.

Health officials yesterday requested the public to get the COVID-19 vaccine available to them, without being misguided by myths about vaccination and adverse effects. A low turnout for vaccination among the 20 to 29 age group has been linked to the false belief that vaccination can cause impotence.

“There is no scientific basis to this, and these are myths. We know that myths spread faster than scientific fact. It is the same with these myths. We cannot figure out how these emerged but there is no relationship between issues with reproductive health and COVID-19 vaccination,” Family Health Bureau Director Dr. Chithramali de Silva said.