Sri Lanka will begin vaccinating children and youth under the age of 20 against COVID-19 in October, with priority given to children with comorbidities and teenagers over the age of 15, according to State Minister Channa Jayasumana.
The State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply, and Regulation told reporters on Monday (13) that health officials will begin vaccinating children with low immunity or other comorbidities next week. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered to these children.
He also mentioned that a proposal to vaccinate school students taking their GCE Ordinary Level and Advanced Level exams is being discussed.
“Discussions are still ongoing, and a committee has been formed to investigate it. The committee will also decide which grades should have their schools reopened. We have asked that the possibility of opening preschools be considered,” Jayasumana said.
Children under the age of 15 who do not have comorbidities will not be vaccinated because their infection rate is lower, he added. However, a decision in this regard will be made following the committee discussions.
According to the Census and Statistics Department's population and housing report for 2012 – the figures used by health officials in categorizing age groups in Sri Lanka's vaccine rollout – 1,644,249 people in the country are between the ages of 15 and 19.
According to the committee chaired by Health Services Director General Dr Asela Gunawardena, vaccination of this age group will most likely begin in October, according to Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) member Dr Nalinda Herath.
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