Chief Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga has been tasked to coordinate with all relevant stakeholders to obtain COVID19 vaccines for Sri Lanka.

This was decided at the meeting of the COVID19 Task Force, which met at the Presidential Secretariat today, the President's Media Division said.

COVID19 vaccines have been developed in China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Sri Lanka has reached out to several international funding partners to secure funds to purchase COVID19 vaccines for the country. Informed government sources said discussions have started with multiiple parties, through diplomatic channels, to secure access to vaccines.

However, Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Minister of State for Primary Health Care and COVID19-related tasks stated that the Pfizer Biotech vaccine, a joint product of the United States and Germany, was not suitable for Sri Lanka due to environmental factors.

She said that the Pfizer Biotech vaccine should be stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius and that it is not suitable for a tropical country like ours.

She claimed that Sri Laka remained hopeful about obraining Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine when it is ready. Sri Lanka has already sough financial assistance from international financial organizations to buy COVID19 vaccines.