The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has not yet granted approval for emergency use of the Chinese Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to Sri Lankans. However, the NMRA had only granted approval for the use of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to Chinese nationals residing in Sri Lanka, The Sunday Morning learnt. Also, this approval is only for the acceptance of a donation of Sinopharm vaccines, it is reliably learnt. Sources at the NMRA explained that while several meetings on the Chinese vaccine were held on Friday (19), no final decision was made to grant approval for the import or emergency use of the vaccine for locals. The NMRA has already granted approval for emergency use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Source: The Nation March 21, 2021 03:00 UTC