News
AMS lambasts rush to vaccinate H’tota youth with Pfizer vaccine
The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) on Monday said that the government decision to use the Pfizer vaccine to immunise people in 20-30 age group in Hambantota was irrational and unscientific.
AMS President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said, in a statement, that the priority should be given to saving lives, and reducing hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients.
“For this purpose, we need to initially immunise the vulnerable, i.e. those over 60 years and those with co morbidities. Though recommended, this policy was not implemented initially, and as a result the death rate has increased. However, we appreciate the fact that the over 60 year group is now being immunised. In addition, a sizeable proportion of fully vaccinated people are also succumbing to Covid 19, or occupying much-needed hospital beds and ICUs.”
The AMS says immunisation has to be done in a scientific manner. The rational policy would be to immunise the unvaccinated vulnerable people as a priority, and then to consider a booster dose to the fully vaccinated group who are at risk of severe disease.
Data from Bahrain and also from Prof. Malavige’s group suggests that, while people below 60 years mount a good immune response to Sinopharm vaccine, it is evident that a minority of people of over 60 years do not produce an antibody response (seroconvert) and are at a higher risk of hospitalisation and death, compared to those given Pfizer/Moderna/ Astra- Zeneca (AZ) vaccines. In addition, certain groups (transplant recipients/cancer patients on therapy/recipients of immunosuppressive drugs) do not mount an adequate immune response following two doses of vaccine. Both these groups should receive a third dose of AZ/Pfizer/Moderna vaccine to prevent such undesirable outcome.
“We have a limited quantity of AZ/mRNA vaccines. In such a situation, we find the administration of the Pfizer vaccine to healthy persons in the 20-30 age group who can effectively mount an adequate immune response with the Sinopharm vaccine, is irrational and unscientific. We believe that administration of Covid vaccines should be done with the advice of a competent body of experts, such as the ACCD of the Ministry of Health. Deviation from the advice of the ACCD has already cost many lives by offering Covid vaccines to 30 to 60 age group before completing the vaccination of above 60-year age group. We hope that, even at this late stage, decisions will be taken in a more rational manner based on scientific evidence,” he said. (RK)
The Governor of the of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Thursdy [February 05] at the Parliamentary Complex to discuss the arrangements related to the exposition of the Devnimori Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which have been brought to Sri Lanka under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India.
These sacred relics of Lord Buddha were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Until now, these relics had never been taken outside India. As a result of discussions held between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, the people of Sri Lanka have been granted this rare opportunity to venerate these sacred relics.
The exposition of the relics is being held for a period of seven days, from February 05 to February 11, at the Gangaramaya Temple in Hunupitiya, Colombo. Discussions were held between both parties regarding the arrangements related to this event.
The discussion was attended by Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture; Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka; Abhijit Halder, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation; along with several others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) GHARIAL made a port call in Colombo for operational turnarounds on 04 Feb 26. The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in compliance with naval traditions.
Commanded by Commander Gaurav Tewari, INS GHARIAL is a vessel with a length of 124.8 meters.
During this visit, ten (10) Bailey Bridges, brought by ship, through the coordination of the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, will be handed over to the Disaster Management Center. These bridges will provide temporary transportation links while bridges damaged across the island by adverse weather conditions are repaired.
The crew’s itinerary features scheduled goodwill activities with the Sri Lanka Navy, alongside visits to several tourist attractions across the island.
SJB Gampaha District MP Harshana Rajakaruna yesterday told Parliament that the Speaker’s Personal Secretary had written to the Secretary-General of Parliament seeking information on a complaint lodged with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) by a former Deputy Secretary of Parliament against the Speaker. Rajakaruna called for an immediate investigation into what he described as interference with an ongoing probe.
Raising the matter in the House, Rajakaruna said he had formally requested the Commission to initiate an inquiry into the conduct of the Speaker’s Personal Secretary, Chameera Gallage, questioning the authority under which such information had been sought.
Rajapakaruna tabled in Parliament a copy of the letter allegedly sent by Gallage to the Secretary-General requesting details of the bribery complaint.
Addressing the House, Rajakaruna said that the letter, sent two days earlier, had sought “full details” of the complaint against the Speaker. He maintained that seeking such information amounted to interference with an investigation and constituted a serious offence under the Bribery Act.
“The Speaker’s Secretary has no right to interfere with the work of the Bribery Commission. Under what law is he acting? What authority does he have? The Speaker, like everyone else, is subject to the law of the land,” Rajakaruna said, urging the Commission to take immediate action.
He noted that the Bribery Act treated the obstruction of investigations and the destruction of documents relating to such inquiries as serious offences punishable by law, and said he believed the Minister of Justice would concur.
The allegations sparked sharp reactions in the Chamber, as Opposition members called for accountability and due process in relation to the complaint against the Speaker.
By Saman Indrajith
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