Second batch of Covidshield vaccines from India expected within next two weeks

By Rathindra Kuruwita
 
The second batch of Covidshield vaccines from Serum Institute of India was expected to arrive in the country within the next two weeks, Principal Advisor to the President and the Chief of the Presidential Task Force on the Procurement of COVID Vaccine, Lalith Weeratunga said yesterday in Colombo.

Weeratunga said Sri Lanka had paid for 1.5 million doses of the vaccine.

“500,000 doses donated to Sri Lanka arrived on January 28. For importing vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India we need an export permit, which is only given to the countries endorsed by the government of India. We were fortunate to get this.”

Another 500,000 doses are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka within two weeks. Recently, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation approved the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use.