Colombo, Sri Lanka – With 5,286 people vaccinated on Friday in Sri Lanka with Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield provided by India, Health officials report on Saturday that no adverse reactions have been reported so far.
Sri Lanka began their vaccination campaign by inoculating front line workers, soldiers and security personnel including two military hospitals, one day after neighboring India gifted the country with 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine.
No adverse reactions or side-effects have so far been reported from anywhere, the health officials said.
The Oxford-Astrazeneca’s Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was approved for emergency use by the Sri Lankan government and vaccination began on the 29 January 2021. Sri Lanka has recorded over 300 deaths due to the pandemic.
Maldives was the first country to receive the Covid-19 vaccine shipment from India on the 20 January 2021. The first shipment consisted of 100,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine which is expected to be administered to 50,000 individuals – health workers and frontliners are given priority.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced today that Maldives will launch its nation wide vaccination program against Covid-19 tomorrow, the 1st of February.
The announcement further read that vaccine administration will be carried out in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Hulhumale’ Hospital, Villimale’ Hospital, ADK Hospital and at Tree Top Hospital in Male’ City, while Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) and Kulhdhuffushi Regional Hospital will also follow through with the same.
Frontliners vaccinated during this round will be receiving the Covishield vaccine, liecensed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured in the Serum Institute of India (SII). Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) having have approved the vaccine for emergency use.
