COLOMBO - Sri Lankan Health Minister Channa Jayasumana on Friday said that health authorities decided to roll out the fourth dose COVID-19 vaccination for those above the age of 60.

The decision was taken by the expert committee on COVID-19 attached to the health ministry, Jayasumana said.

The government will begin administering the fourth dose from Monday and those above the age of 60 years could take the shots in the vaccination centers across the country.

Sri Lanka began administering the COVID-19 vaccines early last year and has to date vaccinated over 80 percent of those above the age of 12, according to the health ministry.

Over 7 million people have already been administered the third dose.

The country has recorded 663,503 confirmed cases and 16,507 deaths in total so far from the virus.