Sri Lanka rolls out COVID booster shots to all over 60 amid virus surge warnings

Sri Lanka has started giving booster doses of the COVID-19 to people aged 60 and up, according to the Sri Lankan health officials. In the Western and Southern Provinces, as well as the Anuradhapura and Ampara Districts, booster dose administration began on Wednesday. As per the reports of Xinhua, doctors said that the Pfizer vaccine is used as a booster shot and that anyone in the cited age bracket can go to their local vaccination clinics to get the third shot, regardless of whatever vaccine they received as the first or second dose.

Officials also advised people to avoid queuing at vaccination facilities and instead wait for a digital notification announcing the vaccination time, according to Xinhua. Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca vaccines were given as the first and second doses in Sri Lanka.

Almost 120,000 people have received the booster dose so far

The health officials stated that the third dose was started earlier in the country with frontline health professionals, including security forces personnel, with almost 120,000 people receiving the booster dose so far. Official figures show that 93.5% of Sri Lanka's population over the age of 20 has received two doses, according to Xinhua. Over 552,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been documented in the country, with more than 14,000 deaths.

On the other hand, the Sri Lankan government has approved the use of Molnupiravir, the first oral antiviral pill approved to treat COVID-19 patients, according to the country's health minister. State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana stated that Sri Lanka's COVID-19 Technical Committee and a panel of medical experts approved the pill.

Sri Lanka Covid-19 cases since March last year

According to Jayasumana, taking the medication lowers the chance of hospitalisation and mortality by 50%. Pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. and biotechnology company, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics collaborated on the development of the medication. The health ministry's figures suggest that Sri Lanka has registered 552,274 COVID-19 cases and 14,016 deaths since March of last year. However, the cases have decreased in the country in the last month with 728 new cases found on November 18.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP