In what comes as a big relief to the island nation, Pfizer has agreed to supply five million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Sri Lanka, as per a report in Daily Mirror. The breakthrough came at a time when the country has been struggling to get vaccines from India’s SII. 

Channa Jayasumana, a Sri Lankan minister, informed that the government would procure vaccines from Pfizer on the basis of a commercial contract. The details of the payment are yet to be worked out, he added. 

This comes after authorities in Sri Lanka have started searching for alternatives for Covishield vaccines whose supply came under intense pressure amid the high caseload in India. The government has already signed an agreement for 13 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine.

Sri Lanka expects delivery of Sputnik-V by the end of this month. 

The minister also informed that the Pfizer vaccine was smaller than others, and therefore separate syringes will have to be arranged for administering it to people in the country.

China has donated around 6000 Sinopharm vaccines to Sri Lanka. However, the country is yet to clear it for emergency use approval.