Pfizer will be given to selected Sinopharm recipients as a third dose.

As of today, the Expert Committee has advised administering Pfizer vaccine as the third dosage to chosen Sinopharm patients.

According to Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath, the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) has suggested providing Pfizer vaccine as the third dosage to all persons over the age of 60 and people aged 30-60 with comorbidities.

“The final decision will be made by the Health Ministry in due time, and the applicable recommendations will be announced following that,” he stated.

“The decision to administer the third shot to other vaccine recipients has still to be made since the vaccines must be prepared for the third dose,” Dr Herath noted.

Meanwhile, Dr. Asela Gunawardana, Director General of Health Services, stated during a press conference that the committee also advised administering a third dose to health and frontline workers.

Normally, a booster dose is administered six months following the second dose.

Dr. Prasanna Gunasena, Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, previously stated that a stock of 14 million Pfizer doses had already been procured to be used as a booster dose for people over the age of 60, while another 800,000 Pfizer doses are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka by the end of September as a donation from the US via the COVAX Facility.