Colombo, Sep 19 (IANS): Sri Lankan authorities have received 4 million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines as a mass inoculation program against Covid-19 is presently underway in the island nation.
The vaccines arrived at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport onboard two Sri Lankan Airlines flights from Beijing, Xinhua news agency.
Officials said the consignment was taken to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC)'s main warehouse complex by vehicles with freezer facilities.
The Chinese Embassy in Colombo said that the latest consignment was the final batch in the contract signed by Sri Lanka's SPC.
Till date, Sri Lanka has received a total of 26 million Sinopharm vaccines which has supported more than 80 per cent of the country's vaccination drive.
Official statistics showed that the Sinopharm vaccine was the leading vaccine used across the country with 10,886,678 doses administered as the first dose till Friday and 8,973,670 administered as the second dose.
Other vaccines being administered are AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik V.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier this month instructed authorities to complete vaccinating those above the age of 30 by this month.
The country has to date detected 500,772 Covid-19 cases since March last year and 11,938 deaths.