NOTICE FOR ALL STUDENTS
Re: Covid 19 vaccination for University of Ruhuna students
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has decided to offer young people between the age of 20 to 30 years. The UGC and all the Vice Chancellors of the state universities were pressing the GOSL to vaccinate all the staff and students to facilitate physical reopening of universities for learning.
This request was discussed by the GOSL and initially the staff of the Universities were vaccinated. However, many reasons delayed the vaccination of University students who belong to the same category of 20-30 year age group. Now with the availability of vaccines in a relatively regular supply, GOSL has started the vaccination of young people.
It is not possible for any University to get down the students in large numbers and conduct special vaccination programmes as a student cohort separately. Hence, it could be done only in your residential areas under each Medical Officer of Health (MOH) division.
Hence, I would like to request all the registered UOR students to obtain your vaccine from the local MOH area clinic. You may carry your UOR identity card with you but it may not be necessary as it is a general decision to vaccinate all between the ages of 20 to 30 years. Your NIC would be required for this purpose. My advice to all the UOR students is to get vaccinated as soon as it is given in your area. Everybody should have two doses of the vaccine and you will be having protective antibodies after 2 weeks of completing the second dose. Therefore, the vaccination will be helpful to reopen the university and protect yourself after 6 weeks of the first dose, theoretically if the vaccination is completed as planned.
Anybody who is not vaccinated is not safe to the community and to him/herself. There is reluctance to take the vaccine by people for undue fear and anxiety. This is the reason for the Covid 19 deaths occurring in 99% of unimmunized population.
All vaccines are safe and the available vaccine is the best vaccine. There had not been any major events following any vaccine in Sri Lanka. Hence, I recommend you to get whatever the vaccine available in your area. Sri Lanka has been getting Sinopharm vaccine on a very regular basis. Do not wait until a vaccine of your choice is available to you as it will never happen in the current context. Please get whatever the vaccine available to you.
If the entire population of UOR (staff and students) is vaccinated, we could reopen the UOR safely to everybody strictly adhering to health guidelines. Hence I appeal to all the UOR students who are not already vaccinated to get the vaccine as soon as it is available in your area.
Prof Sujeewa Amarasena
Vice Chancellor
University of Ruhuna
07.09.2021