Second batch of Sputnik V jabs to be rolled out in Kandy District

The second batch of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines received on Thursday (May 27) is expected to be rolled in Kandy District, says the Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath.

A consignment of 50,000 doses of the Russia-made COVID jab arrived in Sri Lanka last night, in keeping with a purchase order placed by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) to boost the island’s inoculation drive.

Unlike other similar vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Sputnik jab uses two slightly different versions of the vaccine for the first and second dose.

Hence, people who have already received the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine cannot be administered the second dose using the new stock of the jab, Dr. Herath explained, speaking further.

Accordingly, the second dose of the vaccine will be procured separately, he added.