Only the Pfizer vaccine will be given as the third dose in the Covid-19 vaccination program and administering the third dose has begun in the provinces and districts which show an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, Deputy Director General Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said.
He told a press briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Friday that the Western and the Southern Provinces, and the Ampara and the Anuradhapura districts have been selected to administer the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccination because the two provinces and the two districts have shown an increase in infections.
Dr. Herath said that there is no need to mark the two provinces and the two districts as red zones or enforce a lockdown. All that is needed is to adhere to all health guidelines, all the time, especially when organising events. All clusters had formed due to various public events.
According to data, children are safer than adults when it comes to Covid-19 infections and that is why administering Covid-19 vaccines was delayed for children until adequate data was available, he said.