COLOMBO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Sinopharm vaccine is ideal for children as it is an inactivated vaccine, Sri Lankan virology expert Prof. Tissa Vitarana said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said in August that the government would soon begin vaccination of children over 12 years old. Local experts have been debating over the best vaccine to administer young children.

"We must first do a pilot project with a random sample encompassing different groups, after looking at the data. We should see if antibodies are formed and if there are any side effects. My opinion is based on the scientific method and I think Sinopharm is the best for children," Vitarana was quoted by local daily The Island as saying.

Vitarana is a graduate of the University of London and was head of the Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1994.

Sri Lanka has so far fully vaccinated over 50 percent of its population. Vaccinations are currently open to all adults over the age of 18. Enditem

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