JAPAN has responded positively to Sri Lanka’s request for 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19.
Sri Lanka has requested Japan to provide 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in an attempt to complete administering the second dose to citizens.
Sri Lanka’s presidential office said on Thursday (10) that Japan prime minister Yoshihide Suga has responded positively to supply the requested doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Sri Lanka’s health ministry.
The announcement was made during the meeting held between Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Japanese ambassador to Sri Lanka Sugiyama Akira at the presidential secretariat on Thursday (10).
The Japanese government has also agreed to the president's request to provide medical supplies and healthcare equipment needed to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the president's office said.
Sri Lanka is facing a severe shortage of AstraZeneca vaccines as the producer in India failed to provide the promised stock due to the crisis in that country.
"It is still unclear as to what price Sri Lanka would purchase these vaccines from Japan and when it would arrive in Sri Lanka," the Daily Mirror reported.
A protestor is detained by the police during a demonstration against the proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy, outside Royal Mint Court, in London. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso. 
