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Covishield second round: Shortfall of over 600,000 doses remains knotty problem

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Prof. Jayasumana explains efforts to sustain inoculation drive

By Shamindra Ferdinando

State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) has been authorized to explore ways and means of procuring a sufficient stock of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine aka Covishield required to provide the second dose to over 600,000 persons from a ‘third party.’

State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana yesterday (18) told The Island that the cabinet of ministers authorized the move on Monday.

Prof. Jayasumana said that the SPC would try to locate available stocks whereas the administration also continued its efforts at government-to- government level to procure the required covishield stock.

“We are looking for one mn doses,” Prof. Jayasumana said, adding that in case a ‘third party’ offered a stock, the purchase would be subjected to authentication by the relevant producer”, he said. The academic said that in case an authenticated stock could be found, the price would be determined by a Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee.

Prof. Jayasumana acknowledged that they hadn’t been so far successful in reaching an agreement with a foreign government or a ‘third party’ as regards an available Covishield stock.

Responding to another query, Prof. Jayasumana emphasized that India never officially informed Sri Lanka of discontinuation of Covishield vaccines in spite of massive eruption of Covid-19 cases. However, due to the obvious disruption of supplies from Serum Institute based at Pune, India, the government adopted a two-pronged strategy to obtain a stock sufficient for the required second dose, the State Minister said.

Prof. Jayasumana said that there was no point in denying the fact covishield vaccines were in short supply due to serious disruption of the supply chain. The State Minister acknowledged the concerns of those who had received the first Covishield dose but not sure whether they would be able to get the second.

The government launched the inoculation drive on Feb 29, the day after receiving half a million covishield doses, a donation courtesy the government of India. Sri Lanka received the second stock on Feb 25 – also half a million doses procured by the SPC from Serum Institute, the world’s largest producer of vaccines. In addition to them, Sri Lanka took delivery of 264,000 doses provided by global vaccine initiative COVAX on March 7.

The government concluded the first inoculation drive on April 15.

Prof. Jayasumana said that until then Sri Lanka used only Covishield in the vaccination programme though the country received 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines as a donation from China on March 30. Having received the first stock of Russian Sputnik V vaccine (15,000 doses) on May 4, the government started using it on May 6. Sri Lanka commenced using Sinopharm on May 8 five weeks after taking delivery of the free consignment.

State Minister Jayasumana said that though the government received information pertaining to the availability of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines in Canada, Australia, the US and some EU countries, inquiries didn’t yield the desired results.

Prof. Jayasumana said that if their efforts succeeded there wouldn’t have been a need to authorize the SPC to seek supplies from a ‘third party.’ Responding to another query, Prof. Jayasumana underscored the need to be extremely careful in procuring vaccines as initial inquiries revealed that those engaged in plywood business, shipping lines and container transport were among those who offered to provide Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. The State Minister referred to exposure of recent attempts in the Eastern Europe to supply water as vaccines.

Prof. Jayasumana acknowledged the need to carry out the second round of inoculation of those who had received the Oxford-AstraZeneca between 12 to 16 weeks after the first dose.

Asked what would happen if sufficient stock couldn’t be procured in time, Prof. Jayasumana said the government was doing everything possible to get the Oxford-AstraZeneca on time. The State Minister said that in Germany and France against the backdrop of the Oxford-AstraZeneca supply chain disruption, those willing to take a different vaccine as the booster were inoculated with either Sputnik V or Pfizer.

Prof. Jayasumana said that the government received confirmation regarding the supply of 185,000 doses of Sputnik V next Tuesday (25). In the wake of the disruption of Oxford-AstraZeneca supply chain, the government finalized arrangements to procure altogether 14 mn doses of Sinopharm and 13 mn Sputnik V, Prof. Jayasumana said, underscoring the financial commitment.

Commenting on the Chinese donation, Prof. Jayasumana said that of the 600,000 doses received, 2,865 Chinese nationals engaged in development work in Sri Lanka were given the first dose whereas 2,435 received the second dose, too, by May 16, 2021.

According to the Office of Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, by May 16, 2021, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had been given to 925,242 persons (first dose) and 267,077 (second dose) out of 1,264,000 received from India in three stocks on January 28, Feb 25 and March 7.

Prof. Jayasumana said that the ongoing vaccination programme was being implemented in the Western Province comprising the administrative districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara.

The inoculation was carried out under extremely difficult situations with over 2000 new cases being reported on a daily basis over the past week, Prof. Jayasumana said, adding that the increasing number of deaths as well as growing number of the total positive cases were a matter of grave concern.

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts

Published

2 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 12.30 noon 12 March 2026 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 12 March 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts after 2.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

Latest News

Nasa spacecraft weighing 1,300lb due to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

The two Van Allen Probes were launched in 2012 [BBC]

A Van Allen Probe spacecraft weighing more than 1,300lb (600kg) is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere almost 14 years after its launch, Nasa says.

The spacecraft is projected to re-enter around 19:45 EDT (23:45 GMT) on Tuesday the US Space Force predicted, according to Nasa, though there is a 24-hour margin of “uncertainty” in the timing.

The Van Allen Probe A, which launched in 2012, is expected mostly to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, though some components may survive.

The space agency said there is a one in 4,200 chance of being harmed by a piece of the probe, which it characterised as “low” risk.

The spacecraft and its twin, Van Allen Probe B, were on a mission to gather unprecedented data on Earth’s two permanent radiation belts.

It was not immediately clear where in Earth’s atmosphere the satellite is projected to re-enter. The BBC has contacted Nasa for further detail.

Nasa and the US Space Force have said they will monitor the re-entry and update any predictions.

The mission, which was originally designed to last two years, went on for almost seven. It ended after the spacecrafts ran out of fuel and were no longer able to orient themselves toward the Sun.

The probes flew through rings of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field from 2012 to 2019, in order to study how particles were gained and lost, per Nasa.

Those rings, called the Van Allen belts, shield Earth from cosmic radiation, solar storms and streaming solar wind, which are harmful to humans and can damage technology.

The mission made significant discoveries, including the first data that show the existence of a transient third radiation belt, which can form during times of intense solar activity, Nasa said.

Van Allen Probe B is not expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere before 2030.

[BBC]

News

PM Visits the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/12

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, on 11 March 2026, and held bilateral discussions with Yvonne Pinto, Director General of IRRI, focusing on strengthening cooperation in the field of rice research and sustainable agricultural development.

During the meeting, discussions centered on rice cultivation in Sri Lanka, including the key challenges faced by Sri Lankan paddy farmers. The Prime Minister highlighted issues affecting the sector such as productivity constraints, climate-related impacts, and the need to support farmers through improved agricultural practices and technological innovations.

Both sides also discussed the importance of introducing modern techniques and research-driven approaches to rice cultivation in order to enhance productivity and ensure long-term food security. In this regard, IRRI shared insights on ongoing global research initiatives aimed at improving rice varieties, strengthening climate resilience, and promoting sustainable farming practices.

The discussion further focused on the potential for expanded collaboration between Sri Lanka and IRRI, particularly in areas such as research partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity building for Sri Lankan agricultural institutions and farmers. The Prime Minister emphasized Sri Lanka’s interest in strengthening cooperation with IRRI to support the development of the country’s rice sector and to improve the livelihoods of paddy farmers.

The visit reaffirmed the importance of science-based agricultural innovation and international collaboration in addressing food security challenges and enhancing sustainable rice production in Sri Lanka.