With over 80% of over 20's vaccinated, Sri Lanka's vaccination drive is one of the worlds most successful. It is an excellent achievement by the people of Sri Lanka who forced the myth driven government to invest in vaccinations and proven medicines rather than enchanted water and magic portions by shamans. It also is a testament to the capable public sector in Sri Lanka.

After an initial delay, I got my mother and myself vaccinated at the Diyatha Uyana at Waters Edge Battaramulla.

Sinopharm Vaccine

Unless you are an elite, you don't choose vaccines in Sri Lanka, even if you have a valid reason. While we preferred a western vaccine, we had to resort to the Chinese built Sinopharm.

Unlike reported with the Pfizer, Madrona or AstraZeneca vaccinations, the Sinopharm vaccination has few side effects. However, we avoided exerting ourselves and took plenty of rest.

Diyatha Uyana - Waters Edge

The Diyatha Uyana vaccine centre in Waters Edge, Battaramulla, is one of the few walk-in vaccine centres in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Army operates the vaccine centre.

The location is a favourite of mine, especially for vaccinations. It is in an open space next to a body of water. There is plenty of wind to blow over any contagions. The army also does an excellent job of crowd control and maintaining discipline.

In early August, the crowds in the vaccine centre started to drop. Tweets were claiming it takes under 45 minutes for the process. When I registered for the vaccine on 23rd August, the queue was stable at around 30 people. On 23rd September, the line was not more than ten people for the first dose, and there was no queue for the second dose.

Conclusion

The Sri Lankan vaccine drive is progressing fluidly. The government's vaccination dashboard claims more than 80% of over 20 populations are fully vaccinated. The vaccination achievement is outstanding, and kudos to the health sector and the armed forces for their commitment.