COVID-19 VACCINE WILL BE BROUGHT WITH NMRA APPROVAL

COLOMBO (News 1st): COVID-19 vaccines will NOT be brought to the country without the approval of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, and National Development said. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) is currently examining which COVID-19 vaccines were suitable for Sri Lanka by using research and data available from the countries that have developed the vaccines, Principal Adviser to the President Lalith Weeratunga, who heads the Task Force told News 1st on Tuesday (Jan. 12). As this is an emergency situation, the respective research into the matter will be completed soon, Weeratunga added. Accordingly, Lalith Weertunga was hopeful that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) will grant approval for one or more vaccines suitable for the country, among those available at present. Newsfirst inquired with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) regarding the relevant research, and its CEO, Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe said the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Sri Lanka had requested to conduct research on one of the vaccines. The research into the vaccines will commence soon after the request from the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation is completed, Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe further noted. State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control, Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle on Monday (Jan. 11) said Sri Lanka could begin COVID-19 vaccination as early as mid-or-late February, where the people could receive the Oxford AztraZeneca vaccine or the PfizerBioNtech vaccine.