Sri Lanka’s health authorities say it is too early to link two patient deaths to the Ondansetron vaccine, as parallel investigations intensify amid public concern and halted drug batches.
Sri Lanka’s health authorities have clarified that there is still no confirmation that the deaths of two patients at the Colombo Infectious Diseases Hospital were caused by the administration of the vaccine Ondansetron.
Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena made this statement during a special media briefing held at the Department of Information on the 17th, addressing growing public concern over the controversial vaccine.
He said the Ministry of Health has appointed a separate investigation team to examine the incident, while the National Medicines Regulatory Authority is conducting its own independent inquiry. According to Dr. Gunawardena, samples collected during the post-mortem examinations of the two deceased patients are currently undergoing detailed analysis, and conclusions will only be drawn once scientific findings are available.
Speaking at the same briefing, National Medicines Regulatory Authority Chairman Dr. Annanda Wijewickrama said that four batches of the Ondansetron vaccine in question had been temporarily suspended even before the two deaths were reported. He added that following the deaths, authorities decided to suspend the remaining batches of the drug as a precautionary measure.
Dr. Wijewickrama further revealed that ten additional drugs imported from the same manufacturing company have also been temporarily withdrawn, pending further investigation into their safety and quality.
Responding to questions raised by journalists, Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Dr. Manuj C. Weerasinghe stressed that the importation of medicines is not a political decision made by ministers or governments.
“It is not the ministers or governments who are responsible for importing medicines into Sri Lanka. That should be understood very clearly,” he said.
He explained that the Ministry of Health follows a structured procurement process, where annual requirements are submitted to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation through formal tenders. “A tender was issued in 2022, a tender was issued in 2025. If medicine is needed for 2025, that tender will be issued in 2024,” he noted.
Dr. Weerasinghe emphasized that the procurement and manufacturing process takes at least 11 months, adding that medicines cannot be purchased instantly. “It was like that in the past and it is like that now,” he said, urging the public to await verified findings.
