Sinopharm best for kids – Prof. Vitharana

AstraZeneca or Sputnik too would work

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Vaccines that use inactivated coronavirus such as Sinopharm are the best vaccine to inoculate children with, Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and virology expert, Prof. Tissa Vitharana says.

The world has a lot of experience as regards inactivated vaccines, Prof. Vitharana has said, adding that vaccines that use the fully inactivated virus could provide better overall protection.

Commenting on the demands from certain quarters that children be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine,

Prof. Vitharana has said that mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna, designed to trigger an immune response to the virus’s spike protein, inserts genetic material into our body.

“These genes interact with genes in our bodies. We can’t guess what the outcome of these interactions may be, especially in kids whose bodies are undergoing changes. So, I think a vaccine like Sinopharm is best for kids. Even AstraZeneca or Sputnik will work in my opinion,” he says.

Prof. Vitharana has said that about 10-12 countries have started vaccinating children and mRNA vaccines are used in some countries because they are manufactured by the US. However, before administering the vaccines to children, the government must first conduct a pilot programme.

“We can’t reopen schools now because every school child must be vaccinated. However, we should not be in a hurry. We must first do a pilot project with a random sample encompassing different groups, after looking at the data. We should see if antibodies and formed and if there are any side-effects. My opinion is based on the scientific method and I think Sinopharm is the best for children,” he said.

Prof. Vitharana says that vaccinating everyone in the country is crucial to overcome the pandemic and over 85% of the people who have died from COVID have not been vaccinated. Therefore, vaccinating children above five years is vital before opening schools, he said.

Prof. Vitharana has a Diploma in Bacteriology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a Ph.D. in virology from the University of London. He headed the Medical Research Institute (MRI) between 1983 and 1994. Vitharana was also a consultant virologist at the Edinburgh City Hospital’s Regional Virus Laboratory and deputy director of the Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory in Melbourne.