News
Vaccine hesitancy among youth: UNP blames Govt
by Ifham Nizam
Majority of university students have turned down getting COVID-19 vaccination as they preferred to get Pfizer vaccines rather than Chinese vaccines, university sources said.
The University Grants Commission made arrangements that university students to get their vaccines at the nearest university premises until Friday (15).
However, according to the health authorities, the turnout of the university students at the vaccination centres are not up to the expectations. They said that there was low youth turnout at COVID-19 vaccination centres at universities with students saying that they would forego campus-administered jab in favour of the Pfizer vaccine.
Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said that it was important that students are vaccinated before academic activity resumes in state universities. He said that the turnout had been slightly low because of students being choosy. “It has to be said that we are getting a limited number of vaccines like Pfizer which the youth prefer to have,” he said.
Vaccinating students, academic and non-academic staff aged 20 to 29 commenced on last Monday (11) at all government universities and continued till Friday. Vaccination centres had been established in university premises in all universities and university affiliates, the University Grants Commission said.
Professor of Community Health at the Medical Faculty of the University of Colombo, Manju Weerasinghe said that there had been some myths about vaccines in social media. He urged the youth not to listen to baseless opinions expressed by certain persons with commercial interests, and take the vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic at the first available opportunity.
Prof Weerasinghe said that there was no scientific basis to the statements made by certain persons that sexual impotence and infertility are caused in the human body due to the vaccine. He urged the youth not to fall prey to such false opinions and act wisely, protect themselves and the country as well.
UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said that the youth were reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because the government had bungled the process of administering them.
Wijewardene said that less than 40 percent of youth between 20 and 29 years of age had obtained at least a single dose of the anti-Covid vaccine. “They delay getting the vaccines because the government has not provided them with the vaccines that they prefer. For example, university students have been asked to visit the Army Hospital in Colombo to receive Moderna vaccine. When they went there they found that instead of Moderna the troops were ready to administer a Chinese vaccine. So they turned back rejecting the Chinese vaccine,” Wijewardene said.
Instead of blaming the youth, the government should understand their concerns. “Some youth are under the impression that the vaccine and its effects are for life time. So, they prefer Moderna and Pfizer saying that the European countries would give visas only to those who have obtained those brands of vaccine. A large number of youth are planning to go abroad and their concerns are reasonable. They think that obtaining another brand, including those produced in China, would deprive them of their chance to leave the country for higher education or job opportunities. The problem is becoming worse because a large number of youth are refusing to get the vaccine. Their demand is that they should receive the vaccine of their choice,” Wijewardene said.
The UNP Deputy Leader said that there was no other government in the entire history that had let the youth down so much. “Youth have become so frustrated. They are frustrated because they cannot see any progressive future for them in this country. The government is in a forex crisis and has started selling off national assets to collect dollars. There are shortages of milk-powder, gas, rice and sugar. Rice millers are planning to give up their trade. Schools and universities are shut down. In the face of this crisis, could anyone expect youth to decide to stay in this country for the rest of their lives? Hundreds of thousands of youth are planning to leave the country after the government reopens it. Many would go through legal routes while others will chose any method feasible for them,” Wijewardene said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
