Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry says 509,275 individuals in total have received COVID vaccines ever since Sri Lanka kicked off its inoculation drive on the January 29.

A media release issued by the Epidemiology Unit read that 42,925 people were vaccinated yesterday (March 01).

Sri Lanka’s inoculation drive is moving forward with Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

India donated 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccine to Sri Lanka in January as part of its “Vaccine Maitri” (Vaccine Friendship) initiative.

The consignment arrived on the island on January 28 and the jabs were initially administered to frontline health workers and members of the Armed forces on priority base. 

Vaccination program was extended to the general public and parliamentarians subsequently.

Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD is being manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute. The SII has collaborated with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for making the vaccine.

In the meantime, a consignment of 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD vaccines purchased from India arrived in Sri Lanka on February 25.

The purchase was part of an order signed between State Pharmaceutical Corporation and Serum Institute of India (SII) for 10 million doses of the vaccine valued at USD 52.5 million.