Sri Lanka to start administering Covid-19 booster doses

Sri Lanka is preparing to commence providing the third dose or booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines to its citizens from tomorrow (01) with frontline health workers the first group to receive the booster dose.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is to be administered as the booster dose in the country. 

Speaking on this, the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardhena said that the booster dose will be provided 06 months after receiving the second dose.

He said that frontline health workers and tri-forces personnel who are assisting in controlling the spread of the virus will initially receive the booster dose and then workers in airport, ports and tourism sectors. 

Dr. Gunawardhena said that they are then expecting to administer the third dose to persons over the age of 60 years next, followed by those with various diseases in age group 30-60. Afterwards everyone above the age of 20 will be given the booster dose, he said.

Manhole the country’s inoculation programme against Covid-19 is continuing across the island with over 13.4 million of the population receiving both doses so far.