Health authorities have identified several key reasons for the lack of interest among young people to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine in Sri Lanka.
President of the Public Health Inspectors Association Upul Rohana said only less than 25% of youth between the ages of 20-30 have currently obtained the vaccine in the country.
He said one key reason was due to the youngsters wanting to obtain the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which they consider has higher efficacy than other vaccines.
Secondly, it is due to youth expecting vaccines accepted overseas in order to travel for education or employment.
These youth are avoiding obtaining the Sinopharm Covid vaccine, with the intention of receiving other accepted vaccines to travel abroad, Rohana pointed out.
Stating that many countries have relaxed their vaccine policy for travellers, Upul Rohana urged the younger population to obtain the available vaccine at present.
He emphasized that it was essential to first safeguard one’s life against the virus, before prioritizing other matters.
Meanwhile, other health authorities have also raised serious concerns over the lack of interest among the 20 to 29 age group to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
They revealed that many of the youngsters are not keen to obtain the vaccines over fears that it may lead to infertility, while some preferred unproven natural remedies.
Senior doctors stated that only an estimated 40% of the 20 to 29 age group had received the vaccines, islandwide.
They pointed out that it was a very poor percentage at a time when Sri Lanka was aiming to inoculate all its citizens against the virus as soon as possible as the Delta variant had already claimed many lives.
According to figures, in the month of August alone 95 percent of those who had succumbed to the virus were unvaccinated, while Sri Lanka continued to report at least 2 to 3 deaths daily among youngsters.
The Health authorities have warned that while the risk of the Delta variant causing severe symptoms in unvaccinated adults remained, even the youngsters who were unvaccinated were at equal risk.
They added that if the country aimed to return to normalcy, then this age group needed to be vaccinated as soon as possible. (NewsWire)
