With the expiry of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines on October 31, the Covid Technical Expert Committee should take over the implementation and recommendations to the Government about the next step, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge told the Daily Mirror.
“The country should take over the vaccination programme as the Chinese-made Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine vials cannot be used as booster vaccines,” he said.
He said the technical team should analyze the country's current situation to bring another stock of vaccines into the country and determine when it is possible to do so.
Dr. Aluthge told the Daily Mirror that a three-month extension of the expiry date of the Pfizer vaccines expired yesterday.
"The Pfizer vaccination programme was stopped and the Sinopharm vaccine is still in process. Due to not having sufficient strength in the Sinopharm vaccine as in the Pfizer vaccine, there is no demand for that.
“Sinopharm vaccines cannot be used as booster vaccines," he said.
He said that the Health Ministry extended the expiry date of the batch of Pfizer vaccines on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO).
He said the technical team should convene and take a decision on what suitable action should be taken to prevent the Covid virus from spreading in the country again.
"There are various discussions around the world about the emerging of new Covid variants, but no adequate precautions are taken. Instead of that, most countries are taking decisions on relaxing the health guidelines," he said.
“However, we have good immunity in our community and death due to Covid has become rare. However, there is no huge risk unless the world is again affected by a severe variant,” Dr. Aluthge said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)
Daily Mirror