Minister Ramesh Pathirana: ‘Our policy is to vaccinate as many as possible’

COLOMBO: The government is willing to administer COVID-19 jabs to the immediate family members of all frontline workers who are fighting the pandemic, Co-cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said.

Minister Dr. Pathirana said that the only reason that keeps the government from initiating the move is the limit in vaccine supplies.

He was speaking at the Cabinet media briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday.

Minister Dr. Pathirana was responding to a journalist regarding the strike by several trade unions of the Health Service claiming that there is unfair treatment in the vaccination programme implemented for the immediate family members of selected groups of health workers.

“Not only the family members of the frontline health workers, but also other public servants such as District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladharis and Samurdhi Niladharis work at the frontline,” Minister Dr. Pathirana said.

“The government has undertood the need to provide vaccination for all these workers and their family members. However, we are short of vaccine supplies and that has forced us to prioritize. When we have adequate vaccine supplies, we will vaccinate all these workers,” he added.

“Our policy is to vaccinate as many as possible,” the minister said.

“We have opted for Sinopharm because there is a shortage of AstraZeneca.

“There is a 600,000 shortage of AstraZeneca dose for the second dose. We must buy available vaccines.”