(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –China will donate 300,000 vaccine doses of its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo said the vaccines are expected to be handed over to Sri Lanka in mid-February after the necessary due procedures are completed on either side.
China is delivering the vaccine on a request made by the Government of Sri Lanka to jointly combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vaccine is manufactured by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. (Sinopharm), a leading vaccine manufacturer in the world with a revenue of nearly US$ 62 billion in 2018.
The Sinopharm vaccine has already passed the phase three trials in several countries, with 79-86% effectiveness at preventing the COVID-19 infection, 99.52% of neutralizing antibodies, and 100% of preventing sever and moderate disease.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo said as an inactivated vaccine, it better ensures the safety of vaccines and could be easily stored and transported at a regular refrigerator temperature, which is 2-8 degrees Celsius.
The vaccine has received approval for public use in the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Pakistan, and China.
As of yesterday (26), over 20 million Sinopharm doses have been administered across the world with no reports of serious adverse reactions.
Foreign State Leaders including the Seychelles President, Bahrain Prime Minister, Jordan prime Minister, the UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and the Serbian Health Minister have received the jabs.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo further extended its sincere solidarity and best wishes to the people of Sri Lanka, and reiterated China’s commitment to jointly build a community of shared future for mankind.
