The second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVIShield vaccine will be administered from today to those who are yet to receive it.
A stock of 728,460 AstraZeneca doses arrived in Sri Lanka from Japan yesterday.
The consignment was a donation from the government of Japan through the World Health Organisation COVAX facility.
Accordingly, through the use of the stock, the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered from today at 62 sites in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts.
Vaccination centres have been established at main district hospitals, regional offices of Medical Officers of Health and other dedicated sites.
Health authorities have instructed persons hoping to receive the second AstraZeneca dose to bring the vaccination card they received at the time the first jab was administered along with the National Identity Card.
Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi said vaccinations will be carried out throughout the day and well into the night and therefore the public should not rush to vaccination points.
Minister Wanniarachchi said since a majority of AstraZeneca doses were administered in the Western Province, the inoculation of the second dose will be carried out mainly in centres in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara.
She noted they are hoping to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine doses during the next seven days.
The Health Minister said they will inoculate all persons who received the first dose.
Minister Wanniarachchi said if anyone was unable to receive the second dose during the next seven days, the vaccination process will be extended to next week.
She said therefore persons should not have any undue fear of a shortage of AstraZeneca vaccine doses.
The Health Minister added the remaining stocks of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses will be used to vaccinate residents of Kegalle.
