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Lanka lucky to get substantial supplies of Sinopharm, but we are paying for following failed playbook of US, UK – Dr. Rannan-Eliya

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4 years ago

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Given that Sri Lanka has access to substantial supplies of Sinopharm vaccine, Sinovac is not a good choice any longer, since Sinopharm is much better in terms of immune protection, Executive Director of the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), Dr. Ravi Rannan-Eliya says.

Dr. Eliya said that if Sri Lanka had actually stuck to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official strategy of preventing and stopping outbreaks, then Sinovac might have had a role, since even a partially effective vaccine can help in reducing the cost of maintaining a COVID- free country. He added that “this essentially what China is doing right now”.

“China doesn’t need the best vaccines, just vaccines good enough to slow transmission enough to allow other control measures to beat the virus, without putting the whole country in lockdown. But we are not China. We have followed the failed playbook that the UK and the USA adopted. So we have widespread transmission in the community and literally thousands of deaths each month. So for us, buying and deploying Sinopharm, topped up with Moderna, Pfizer and Sputnik seems to be best strategy for now, with the exact mix depending on what is available quickly in quantity. Moreover, given that thousands are dying and will continue to die until the virus slows down by infecting enough people, speed and quantity are the biggest considerations, and no longer cost, since we have already made the decision to go for broke…and I mean that literally!,” he said.

Given below are excerpts of his statement: “I was asked the other day for my thoughts on the local approval and use of Sinovac, so just sharing my general take on this. Sinovac was given an emergency use license (EUL) by our NMRA on 16 July 2021, six weeks after WHO had given its EUL (1 Jun 2021). We have since not purchased it as far as I know and certainly not used it, so why?

“SHOULD SINOVAC BE APPROVED FOR EMERGENCY USE DURING THIS ONGOING COVID PANDEMIC?

“The answer to that is fairly simply – YES. This basically boils down to two considerations: (1) Does it work? (2) Is it safe enough for emergency use, given the limited evidence that any vaccine will have in an emergency scenario? This is the decision that WHO came to (and they are really slow when it comes to non-US/UK/EU vaccines), and the same decision that robust regulatory authorities in places like Hong Kong, Chile came to months before WHO. Given that and given the reality that we faced of tight global supplies of COVID vaccines, our local NMRA approval was in fact if anything rather slow. The second question is whether we should use or purchase it.

“SHOULD SINOVAC BE USED IN OUR SRI LANKAN COVID VACCINATION STRATEGY?

“The question of whether Sinovac should be used in our national COVID vaccination strategy is a completely separate one, and not one that NMRA should or could decide. This separate decision needs to be based on the overall public health strategy, plus COST and AVAILABILITY considerations. The bottom line here is that the answer depends on what our alternatives are, and how desperate we are to boost population immunity.

“There are three things to know about Sinovac. First, it is not as effective in stopping severe illness and also in stopping transmission as Sinopharm or Astra-Zeneca, and much less effective than the mRNA vaccines, like Pfizer and Moderna. Second, it is much more available to developing countries than Astra-Zeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, because Sinovac is being produced in the billions of doses and most Western countries aren’t buying it. Third, although Sinopharm is a better vaccine, Sinovac was available in bulk outside China much earlier, because Sinovac, a commercial firm, was much faster in getting approvals than the more lethargic, state-run Sinopharm.

“So Sinovac has been put to use in many countries, including in Europe and also some OECD countries, such as Chile and Mexico. GAVI has also signed agreements to purchase Sinovac for global distribution through the COVAX programme. For practical reasons. Sinovac and also Sinopharm are the only vaccines that are available in sufficient bulk to allow COVAX to deliver on its commitments to developing countries, so COVAX desperately needs both Sinovac and Sinopharm. So there is a rational case for purchasing Sinovac in bulk in many countries, and even Western-dominated entities like GAVI have come to this conclusion.

“However, for us in Sri Lanka, where we appear to now have substantial supplies of mostly Sinopharm vaccines, Sinovac is not a good choice any longer, since Sinopharm is much better in terms of immune protection. This means that with continuing widespread transmission (since contrary to President’s Official COVID Strategy, our real strategy has been for months to live and die! with the virus), Sinovac will require boosters earlier, and it will thus end up being more costly.”


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Deep Depression likely to cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026)

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2 hours ago

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2026/01/10

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Warning for deep depression to the East of Sri Lanka.
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 01.30 a.m. on 10 January 2026 for the period until 01.30 a.m. on 11 January 2026

The deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located about 50 km North-northeast of Trincomalee at 01:00 a.m. on 10 January 2026.  It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Sri Lankan coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna during the morning today (10 January 2026).

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Landslide RED warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions of Ududumbara, Nildadndahinna and Walapane

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19 hours ago

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2026/01/9

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The landslide early warning center of the National  Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued RED warnings to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours effective from 0900 hrs today [09th January].

Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Welimada,  Kandaketiya, Badulla, Meegahakiwula, Hali_Ela, Passara and Lunugala in the Badulla district, Minipe in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale, Ukuwela, Rattota, Naula and Laggala_Pallegama in the Matale district, and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district.

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A Policy is being formulated to ensure Child Protection in the use of Technology — Prime Minister

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22 hours ago

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2026/01/9

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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a policy is currently being formulated to ensure child protection in the use of technology.

The Prime Minister made this statement on Thursday (08) in Kandy while briefing the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of the Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters on the issue that has arisen regarding the Grade 6 English module. Thereafter, printed copies of all modules were  presented to the Mahanayake Theros.

Earlier on Thursday  (08), the Prime Minister visited the Malwathu Viharaya in Kandy and met the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Nayaka Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter, where she explained the error that had occurred in the first print run of the English module for Grade 6 .

The Mahanayake Theros emphasized that education is a sensitive subject and that such matters should be handled with greater sensitivity and proper oversight. They further advised that a formal investigation should be conducted and that education reforms should be carried forward in a systematic manner.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister visited the Asgiriya Maha Viharaya and met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, where she clarified the error related to the English module.

The Mahanayake Thero noted that education reforms are a timely necessity and should be implemented with due oversight and careful review and also pointed out that there are broader issues in Sri Lanka regarding the use of technology, which are evident in the manner in which modern tools such as AI technologies are being used on social media.

Clarifying the issue Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated,

“We have appointed a committee to look into this issue, and based on the recommendations of the National Institute of Education (NIE), steps were taken to remove the relevant lesson. In addition, all printed copies of the relevant module have been stamped, and no module has been distributed to schoolchildren. A formal investigation into this matter has been initiated by the Ministry, and a complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department.

At the same time, we are in the process of formulating a policy on child protection in the use of technology”.

Thereafter, addressing the media and responding to the’ questions raised by journalists, the Prime Minister stated:

“The Opposition is attempting to use this national task for their own political advantage. However, many in society have expressed their views on the issues that have arisen in a positive manner, with the objective of identifying and correcting mistakes. The government has decided to move forward with education reforms by recognizing the error that have occurred and rectifying them. We will take the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition as an opportunity to further advance dialogue on education reforms”

The occasion was graced by the Most Venerable Anunayaka Thero of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Narampanawe Ananda Nayaka Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Asgiriya Chapter, Venerable Muruddeniye Dhammarakkhita Thero; Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, Venerable Mahawela Rathanapala Thero; Members of Parliament Thushari Jayasinghe and Thanura Dissanayake; Mayor of Kandy Chandrasiri Wijenayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa; and Secretary to the Ceylon Teachers’ Union in Central Province D. D. Wimalaweera.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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