Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne says that the Influenza vaccine, which has been proposed to be given to the patients who have fallen victim to the viral fever spreading in the Southern Province, will only be provided to hospital based on the approval of a committee of specialist doctors and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

Addressing the provincial health ministers’ conference held at the National Blood Transfusion Center in Narahenpita today (31), he said that the vaccine cannot be given to patients afflicted with the viral fever in the South the way the media is saying.”

He stated that a proper procedure has to be followed when providing vaccines.

Senaratne stated that certain politicians take ‘popular decisions’, but he is not one of those politicians as he does not take any ‘popular decisions’.

Giving an example, the minister said that the President of Philippines had imported a drug for that country’s dengue patients and that now corruption charges have been leveled against him. That is because popular decisions were taken.”

The Health Minister stated that a committee of specialist doctors and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority will be tasked with looking into the vaccine and that it will be provided to hospitals only if their approval is given.