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All vaccines reduce death and hospitalisation – SLMA

The Sri Lanka Medical Association on Thursday (09) said that all vaccines reduced death and hospitalisation, and some fully-vaccinated people could get reinfected they will mostly develop mild symptoms such as fever, cough, etc.
The SLMC said that Sri Lanka had relied on vaccination and movement restriction to control the Covid-19 epidemic and that all vaccines approved so far by the NMRA had saved many lives and prevented severe disease. Most people who have died from COVID are unvaccinated individuals. It is therefore essential that all unvaccinated people, over the age of 18 years be immunised, with any of the available vaccines at earliest possible, SLMA President, Dr. Padma Gunaratne said.
“Subject to above recommendation, the SLMA has formulated recommendations further based on scientific principles with an objective of preventing severe disease and deaths. Preventing severe disease will reduce congestion in hospitals and ICU, and will indirectly benefit people with other diseases who also need ICU facilities,” she said.
The SLMA has issued a media statement: “With the roll out of the vaccines, certain characteristics that are specific for the type of the vaccines have been identified. Especially with the Delta variant, while all vaccines reduce death and hospitalization, fully vaccinated people can be infected and develop mild symptoms, such as fever, cough, etc. However, studies have revealed that a minority of fully vaccinated people can get severe disease, and may even die. Studies from Bahrain has shown that in those over 50 years, people given the Sinopharm vaccine, while preventing death and severe disease compared to the unvaccinated, had a slightly increased death rate, and’ hospitalisation compared to the Pfizer, Moderna, Sputnik and AstraZeneca vaccines. Studies from the laboratory of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Sri Jayewardenepura University (SJPU) has shown that, while almost all people over 60 years given the AZ vaccine develop antibodies, a very small proportion, 7%, given Sinopharm do not do so. In addition, patients with some diseases or on certain drugs (organ and stem cell (bone marrow) transplant recipients, patients with active cancer, those on immunosuppressive therapies and on dialysis, advanced HIV have a weak immune system, and will not produce antibodies, whatever the vaccine that was given.
“1. For this reason, we propose that people over 60 who had been given two doses of Sinopharm, and those with a weak immune system, be given a third dose, with AZ, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The study from Bahrain and data from SJPU indicate that people below 60 years produce a robust immune response to Sinopharm, and are protected from death or severe disease.
“2. We therefore recommend that all people (without the diseases mentioned above) are given two doses of Sinopharm. Children from 12 — 18 years generally do not get severe disease. However, children with certain underlying diseases may get severe disease. We therefore recommend two doses of Pfizer for this group. Some people have been administered one dose of Sputnik; the second dose is different from the first. If the second dose is not available.We suggest that a single dose of AZ, Pfizer or Moderna be given instead.
“Studies in the UK and the US have shown, that, with AZ, Pfizer and Moderna, protection (effectiveness) against severe disease and death is maintained for at least six months.
We therefore suggest that, as there may be a waning of immunity with time, a booster dose of the same or a different vaccine, be given to people over 60 years, who had been given two doses of AZ, at least 6 months after the second dose. Studies have shown that immunity is boosted, with this regimen.”
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Third DNA test on Sarah: SJB questions veracity of police claim, asks Prez to dig deep

Easter Sunday carnage
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday (30) questioned the veracity of a police headquarters declaration that one of the Easter Sunday bombers Achchi Muhammadu Mohamed Hasthun’s wife Pulasthini Mahendran alias Sarah Jasmin had been killed on the night of April 26, 2019 at Sainthamaruthu.
The media was told at the Opposition Leader’s Office at No 30 Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha that the SJB was quite disturbed and surprised by the police headquarters statement issued on the basis of the Government Analyst’s findings.
Top SJB Spokesperson Mujibur Rahuman said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government owed an explanation as to how a third DNA test proved Sarah Jasmin’s death when the two previous DNA tests failed. The former MP said that the two previous tests had been conducted during the tenures of President Maithripala Sirisena and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Sarah Jasmin’s husband Hasthun is believed to be one of the bomb makers of the now proscribed National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) blamed for the series of near simultaneous blasts. Explosions caused by suicide bombers claimed the lives of about 270 persons including dozens of foreigners.
Rahuman told The Island that he would like to remind President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the Defence Minister that Easter Sunday carnage was meant to undermine the yahapalana government in which Wickremesinghe served as the Prime Minister. “We expect the President to look into this matter. The possibility of a conspiracy cannot be ruled out,” the former lawmaker said.
Authoritative sources said that the likes of ex-MP Rahuman was seeking political advantage from the Easter Sunday fallout. The Colombo District politician repeatedly questioned the investigation for reasons best known to him, sources said, alleging interested parties were working overtime to substantiate conspiracy theories.
Rahuman challenged the government to reveal the status of the investigation into the arrest of a police officer under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for helping Sarah Jasmin to flee Sri Lanka. The former UNPer said that the police officer’s role in Sarah Jasmin’s escape transpired in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the Easter Sunday carnage.
The Batticaloa High Court granted bail to Chief Inspector Nagoor Thambi Aboobucker who had been arrested on July 13, 2020, a few weeks before the last general election, after he filed a fundamental rights application. The law enforcement officer had been held in custody for a period of 32 months.
Rahuman noted that Abdul Cader Fathima Saadiah, the wife of 2019 Easter Sunday attacks mastermind Zahran Hashim, too, had been granted bail. She had been held under the PTA for almost four years.The SJB official emphasized that regardless of repeated assurances given by successive governments, the Easter Sunday massacre remained a mystery. Rahuman said that SJB MPs Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara, who had been severely critical of the Easter Sunday investigations and repeatedly alleging a conspiracy, switched allegiance to the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government in last May. However, the SJB wouldn’t allow the incumbent government to suppress the truth, he said.
The former lawmaker asked whether the new partners had reached a consensus on the matter, therefore interested parties were busy covering up tracks.Rahuman said that those at the helm should be ashamed that the P CoI recommendations were never implemented. Demanding punishment to those who neglected their responsibilities, Rahuman said the current dispensation should know the conspirators, too, should be dealt with.
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CBK: Proposed anti-corruption bill inadequate to end widespread problem

“75 percent in parliament are crooks.”
There is nothing in the proposed anti-corruption bill to prevent people from engaging in corrupt activities, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike said yesterday in Colombo.She said that she had accessed the draft of the bill, formulated at the behest of the IMF.
“The bill focuses on what to do when someone is identified as a crook. But there is nothing to prevent people from engaging in such acts.”
Corruption had become a key feature in Sri Lanka since 1977 despite some efforts by political leaders. However, there were strong anti-corruption sentiments in the country and they had to be harnessed, she said.
“75 percent in parliament are crooks,” she said.
The former President was also critical of the proposed new anti-terror laws. She said they were very dangerous laws and anyone could be detained for having dissenting views.
“These are scary laws. Everyone must unite to fight such laws,” she said.
News
SJB MP throws party union under the bus

By Akitha Perera
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar on Thursday said that he supported the government’s decision to liberalise the petroleum sector and that the state should not be involved in business. Marikkar added that most Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) workers were idling and that they got paid for not doing any work.
“If you ask me, I say that we must liberalise the CPC. We must open the market. We can’t have this island mentality and it is our parochial thinking that got us into this mess. We can’t live in isolation. The world is open and an increase in competition leads to better outcomes for the consumer.
We believe that the state should not be involved in business. The Lanka IOC is in Sri Lanka. When three other companies come in, there will be greater competition. Most CPC employees are idling. They draw fat salaries at the end of the month for doing nothing,” he said.Marikkar said that while the average CPC employee wasted public funds, those who headed it were involved in corruption. Both waste and corruption had to be stopped, he said.
“I am not sucking up to the President. We have principles and we stand by them,” he said.
However, the SJB’s trade union arm led by Ananda Palitha is playing leading role in CPC trade union struggle against the Cabinet decision to award licenses to more foreign companies that intend to enter the fuel retail market in the country.
In a Twitter message, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said China’s Sinopec, United Petroleum of Australia and RM Parks of USA in a collaboration with Shell Plc would enter the fuel retail market in Sri Lanka.
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