Delta fast becoming dominant variant in Sri Lanka
Medical professionals question government’s vaccine choices and transparency
COLOMBO – The Delta variant of SARS-cov 2, the virus causing the novel coronavirus infection, is likely to become the dominant strain in Sri Lanka in the coming weeks, medical specialists have warned.
Local media, quoting the President of the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS), Dr. LakKumar Fernando, said given the spread of the Delta variant across the world and its has transmissibility, it could be concluded the variant would be the dominant strain in Sri Lanka as well.
Dr. Fernando has questioned, why, in such a backdrop, the local medicinal authorities had granted approval for COVID-19 vaccines that are not backed by sufficient data on the Delta variant, noting other countries were opting for vaccines with a high efficacy rate against the variant.
Dr. Fernando has also raised the need to review the prevailing relaxation of travel restrictions, in a scenario where the COVID-19 caseloads appear to be on the increase.
He has also called on the government to prioritize vaccination on age-related efficacy and to be transparent about access to some vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna.
Meanwhile, 45 Covid- related deaths were reported on Sunday (25), taking Sri Lanka’s fatality count to 4,099. The Department of Government Information identified the deceased as 22 females and 23 males.
Director-General Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, told reports on Sunday, the majority of people being hospitalized with serious Covid-related complications and succumbing to the infection were those who have not been fully vaccinated.
He said this was noticed in an analysis carried out on the number of infections and deaths.
“It is of absolute importance that every individual above 60 gets vaccinated irrespective of the preferred vaccine. In addition, people above 30 should also get their vaccine without hesitation,” he said.
-ENCL