14mn Sri Lankans to receive COVID-19 jab: Health Ministry

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Ministry of Health plans to vaccinate 14 million people out of Sri Lanka's total population against the COVID-19 virus, the Department of Government Information said on Tuesday (Feb. 23). Accordingly, Cabinet of Ministers approved to sign the Standardized Indemnification Agreement submitted by the COVAX mechanism in order to expedite the vaccination under the COVAX facility. Further, the Cabinet of Minister approved the purchase of 10 million Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines for $ 52.5 million as a direct procurement from the Serum Institute Private Ltd, India and to enter in to an agreement between AstraZeneca institute in Britain and Sri Lanka State Pharmaceutical Corporation to purchase 3.5 million of COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the said institute.