Seventy percent need to be vaccinated - GMOA | Page 2 | Sunday Observer
To achieve herd immunity against Covid-19

Seventy percent need to be vaccinated - GMOA

10 January, 2021

Sri Lanka needs to purchase 40 to 50 percent of the vaccines needed to achieve herd immunity, a senior official of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said yesterday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides 20 percent of the vaccines free and the remaining which is another 40 to 50 percent needs to be purchased, (GMOA) Editor and former Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. At least 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to achieve herd immunity, he added. He said the recovery rate of Covid-19 patients in Sri Lanka is 85 percent which is very satisfactory and ranks high in the world because the Government takes swift action to isolate all required areas and that is commendable.

Around 55 percent of Covid-19 deaths was reported from the Western Province, mainly in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) area while 30 percent of Covid-19 patients were from the same region, Dr. Aluthge added. The CMC has only 30 to 40 square kilometres, therefore, this situation should be taken into consideration, he said.

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