Pfizer second jab to be given to 16 – 19 year old children

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – The second Pfizer vaccine dose will be administered to children between the ages of 16 and 19 from today.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply, and Regulation Channa Jayasumana said while many countries administer the second dose to this age group after four weeks, the specialist committee on vaccinations in Sri Lanka recommended the second dose to be administered after three months.

However, State Minister Jayasumana requested the public, in general, to obtain the Pfizer booster jab at the earliest adding that individuals above the age of 20 who have completed three months since obtaining the second dose can obtain the booster shot.

He noted that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the world, adding that it could be a matter of days till it spills over into Sri Lanka.

The State Minister also stated that certain groups have not obtained the booster dose despite completing six months since the second vaccine jab, adding that immunity through the first and second doses may have waned at this point.