First batch of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive tomorrow
January 27, 2021 10:32 am
The first consignment of the AstraZeneca (Covishield) COVID-19 vaccine produced in India is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow (January 28).
Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (AASL) Major General (Retired) G. A. Chandrasiri stated that the aircraft carrying the vaccine will arrive in the country at 11.00 am tomorrow.
A stock of India-produced AstraZeneca (Covishield) is given to Sri Lanka as a donation from India to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Serum Institute of India – the world’s largest drugmaker – has been authorized to locally produce Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. India recently began supplying vaccines to six neighboring and key partner countries.
The consignment weighing 1,323 kilograms will be brought to Sri Lanka by a special cold storage aircraft, AI-281.
The vaccine is then planned to be stored in cold storage at the cargo village in the airport.