A consignment of around 2 million doses of a vaccine against the coronavirus has arrived in Bangladesh as a gift from neighbouring India.
An Air India flight touched down in Dhaka with the vaccines at 11:15 am on Thursday.
The vaccine shots will be transported from the airport in two freezers to the EPI storage in the capital’s Tejgaon.
Earlier, Health Minister Zahid Maleque had said he would go to the airport to receive the vaccine shipment.
However, the health ministry later on Wednesday revealed that a delegation of 7-8 people led by a deputy director of the health directorate would collect it instead.
“After clearing customs and completing other formalities, the vaccine will be brought to the EPI storage in Tejgaon. From there, some vaccines will be taken to the state guest house Padma for the official reception,” Sheikh Akkas Ali, spokesman of the health directorate, told bdnews24.com.
After delivering the vaccine consignment, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter to highlight the importance of fostering ties between the two countries.
“#VaccineMaitri reaffirms the highest priority accorded by India to relations with Bangladesh,” he tweeted.
Bangladesh purchased 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, from Serum Institute of India. The first shipment of imported doses — five million – is expected to arrive in Dhaka by Jan 25.
Although Bangladesh initially planned to begin the vaccination drive towards the start of February, authorities now want to fast-track inoculations due to the early arrival of the free doses.
On Wednesday, Health Secretary Md Abdul Mannan said that the drives may begin on Jan 27 or 28.
One representative each from the doctors, nurses, freedom fighters, teachers, police, the army, administration and journalists will get the shots on the first day in line with the plan, according to him.
“We’ve planned to give the doses to 20 to 25 people on the first day. Now we are working on who these people will be,” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the vaccination drive at Dhaka’s Kurmitola General Hospital as per the initial plan.
Besides the Kurmitola General Hospital, the government has chosen the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, and Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital as the places where 400-500 shots will be given on the second day in a dry run, Mannan said.
“We will wait for another week in line with the World Health Organization protocol to see if there is any side effect of the vaccine,” the health secretary said.
Source:bdnews24.com
