Another batch of 1 million Sinopharm jabs arrives in Sri Lanka
June 9, 2021 07:43 am
Sri Lanka received another consignment of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines early this morning (June 09), says State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana.
Ada Derana correspondent said a charter flight carrying 1 million doses of the China-developed jab had touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at around 5.00 am.
The newly-received jabs are expected to be transported to the central vaccine storage complex at the Ministry of Health.
Upon the receipt of 1 million more Sinopharm vaccines from China on June 06, the national inoculation drive was extended to 12 more districts – Matale, Nuwara-Eliya, Kegalle, Trincomalee, Hambantota, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Ampara, Batticaloa, Monaragala and Polonnaruwa – on Tuesday (June 08).
Meanwhile, the new Sinopharm vaccines stocks have also enabled the administration of the second dose in the country.
The Epidemiology Unit’s progress report on COVID-19 immunization showed that as many as 1,033,028 people have received the first dose of Sinopharm vaccines and 166 have been fully vaccinated with the China-made jab.
As per official data, Sri Lanka has received a total of 3.1 million Sinopharm vaccines so far since the arrival of the first batch of 600,000 doses in late March this year.
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) approved the emergency use of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in the country on March 20. Sri Lanka then received a donation of 500,000 doses of the China-manufactured vaccine on May 26.
Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine, also known as BBIBP-CorV, is produced by China National Biotec Group (CNBG) – a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (SINOPHARM).
