By Rathindra Kuruwita
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had given regulatory clearance for the emergency use of Oxford /AstraZeneca, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told reporters on Friday (22).
Jayasumana said the vaccine would reach Sri Lanka soon and that it was the first time the NMRA had approved a COVID-19 vaccine.
The State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation said that the NMRA had also received applications to bring down other COVID-19 vaccines.
“We took this decision at a meeting of the NMRA,” he said.
Prof. Jayasumana said COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca was expected to work by preparing the body to defend itself against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The virus used proteins on its outer surface, called spike proteins, to enter the body’s cells and cause disease, he added.