Apr 25, Colombo: The stock of Russian-made Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in Sri Lanka in a few days, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation said.

He said the second phase of the vaccination program will begin as soon as the stocks are received.

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has given the nod to purchase seven million doses of the Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccines at a cost of US$ 69.65 million.

Meanwhile, the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine will be approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use in the next two weeks and it will be made available to the public as soon as it is approved, Prof. Jayasumana said.

China has donated 600,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka and the stock already arrived in the country on 31 March. The State Minister of said 4,000 Chinese nationals in the country have been vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine.

The State Minister said that the government has paid close attention to the coronavirus epidemic situation in the country and all resources have been allocated to control the situation. Prof. Channa Jayasumana called on all Sri Lankans to support the government's program.