Govt in search of expert advice to dispose $40 Mn worth Pfizer vaccine 

By NESHELLA PERERA

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka is looking to for expert opinions and feedback on the disposal of $40 million worth expired COVID-19 vaccines after the island nation’s plans to donate them for Myanmar failed, health officials said.

The Health Ministry has extended the expiry date of the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccines twice from end July 2022 on the recommendation of World Health Organization (WHO) and 6 million vaccines will expire on December 31, government officials have said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government in October 2022 said it was going to donate six million Pfizer vaccines valued over $40 million to Myanmar after a majority of Sri Lankans refused to obtain the fourth doses.

“The expired vaccines are still in Sri Lanka. We are looking to get expert opinions on how to dispose the vaccines,” Janaka Chandragupta, Secretary to the Ministry of Health told EconomyNext.

Hemantha Herath, the Director General of the Ministry of Health said Sri Lanka has a stockage of Chinese-manufactures Sinopharm vaccines, which may be administered as the third or the fourth doses in the future, if required.

“Donations weren’t made as the vaccines were close to expiry date and were not up for donation state,” Hemantha Herath Director General of the Ministry of Health said.Only 202,571 people have obtained fourth dose in Sri Lanka though more than 17.1 million people have received the first dose. Sri Lanka faced a delay in importing the vaccines, but later ordered more than required stock to make available as booster doses.