Colombo, January 22 – National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has granted the approval for emergency use of Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 infection in Sr Lanka, says State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana.
Meanwhile Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath was quoted as saying that the necessary rehearsals will be carried out in the coming week and vaccination-related regulatory work is being prepared.
He said that health units in the country are prepared to distribute the vaccines as per the priority list as soon as Sri Lanka receives the vaccine shipment.
What is the Oxford vaccine and how does it work?
It is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus – although it can’t cause illness.
When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack any coronavirus infection.
Research has shown it is highly effective .
Unlike Pfizer’s jab – which has to be kept at an extremely cold temperature (-70C) – the Oxford vaccine can be stored in a normal fridge. This makes it much easier to distribute.
(NewsWire)
