Pathetic public response to Pfizer booster roll-out

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In spite of the promotional campaign for the Pfizer-BioNTech booster jab, the public response for just concluded vaccination week (Jan 11-17) had been low, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told The Island.

Lawmaker Prof. Jayasumana warned the public of dire consequences unless they rushed to the nearest vaccination centre and obtained the jab.

The public shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the gradual drop in the number of Covid-19 deaths over the past few weeks, the Anuradhapura District MP said, reiterating the need for the public to receive the booster as quickly as possible.

The minister said that 46,866 persons received the booster on January 11. They were followed by 74,382 (Jan. 12), 66,952 (Jan. 13), 44,553 (Jan.14) 49,798 (Jan. 15), 39,163 (Jan. 16) and 23,717 (Jan. 17).

Responding to another query, Prof. Jayasumana acknowledged that those who had been working overtime to undermine the vaccination drive appeared to have succeeded in influencing the public, especially through social media and by word of mouth.

Prof. Jayasumana pointed out that Sri Lanka was able to handle the Covid-19 threat much better thanks to a well-organised vaccination drive involving both civilian and the military. “Now, our challenge is to convince the people to receive the booster,” Prof. Jayasumana said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday (18) told Parliament that they were able to resume normal community life having vaccinated more than 85% of the targeted population. At the moment, the administering of the booster vaccination targeting the entire population was continuing, the President said in his policy speech, third since the last presidential election.

The first and second doses administered were the Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.

Recalling the difficulties experienced due to an unexpected Covid-19 eruption in India in early 2020 that disrupted promised supplies of AstraZeneca, Prof. Jayasumana said the government was able to somehow procure vaccines. “We have achieved protection to a certain degree with two doses but the booster dose is of critical importance,” Prof. Jayasumana said.

Appreciating the support provided by various countries as well as international organisations to sustain a costly vaccination roll-out at a time the country was experiencing grave difficulties, the State Minister urged the public not to miss this opportunity. Another eruption due to public indifference could deliver a debilitating setback to our recovery efforts, the State Minister warned, asserting that the epidemic still posed quite a threat. “The vaccination is the only available remedy. Therefore, regardless of scare stories propagated by interested parties and some seeking legal interventions meant to hinder the vaccination process.

Asked when the 16-19 age category would be given the second dose, Prof. Jayasumana said that the roll-out was scheduled to commence after January 20. The State Minister pointed out that as the inoculation of the 16-19 age group began on Oct 20, the second dose could be given after a lapse of three months. Pfizer-BioNTech is used to inoculate this particular age group.