Sri Lanka may lose access to free vaccines after being classified as an upper-middle-income country

Sri Lanka may no longer qualify for free or subsidized vaccines after the World Bank classified it as an upper-middle-income country, sources told Lankadeepa. The change could force the country to cover part of its national immunization program costs from next year and the full cost from 2028.

The sources attributed the change to Sri Lanka’s higher income classification, which would make it ineligible for continued support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is an international public-private partnership that provides essential vaccines to people in low-income and developing countries and helps strengthen immunization programs.

Its support includes financing vaccine purchases, as well as assistance with storage and transport, health worker training and systems that deliver vaccines to children. Its stated core aim is to ensure equal access to life-saving vaccines for children.

Sri Lanka has worked with Gavi for many years. The alliance supported the introduction of hepatitis B, pentavalent, polio and human papillomavirus vaccines in the country.