First consignment of COVISHIELD vaccines arrives in Sri Lanka (update)
The first consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD Covid-19 vaccines from India reached Sri Lanka today (January 28).
A special flight chartered by Air India (AI 281) touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with 500,000 vials of doses packed in tailor-made boxes for the purpose.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ceremonially accepted India’s vaccine donation, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
COVISHIELD is the local name for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the United Kingdom.
The shots developed by UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca and Oxford University are being manufactured at India’s Serum Institute – world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.
The vaccine, which is known as COVISHIELD, is developed from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees.
This has been approved for emergency use by Government of Sri Lanka.
The vaccine consignment was donated to Sri Lanka under Government of India’s “Vaccine Maitri” (Vaccine Friendship) initiative.
The gift from India is keeping in line with India’s continued support to Sri Lanka in fighting the COVID pandemic.
Received 500,000 #COVIDー19 vaccines provided by #peopleofindia at #BIA today(28).
Thank you! PM Shri @narendramodi & #peopleofindia for the generosity shown towards #PeopleofSriLanka at this time in need. pic.twitter.com/yniKBWNeWC— Gotabaya Rajapaksa (@GotabayaR) January 28, 2021