Bangladesh will be getting 68 million or 6.8 crore doses of coronavirus vaccine from Gavi Covax facility, said the line director of the Directorate of Health's Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Dr. Md. Shamsul Haque.
He made the remarks at a program titled 'Covid-19 and Health Update Information Meeting' on Wednesday (November 25). The vaccine will be available in Bangladesh at a rate of 20 per cent of the total population. The vaccine will be available by 2021. Dr. Shamsul Haque said that the whole world is now working on vaccines. But whatever the vaccine is, we are working to get it. Those who submit the national vaccine distribution plan first will get the vaccine first. Bangladesh applied to Covax in early July and Gavie accepted it on 14 July. Bangladesh will get 6 million or 66 million vaccines in two doses from Gavi. As such, Bangladesh will first get the corona vaccine for 34 million or 3.4 crore people. For this, the government will have to go for co-financing with Gavi. We can buy it for 1.6 to 2 dollars.
He said that in addition to the Gavi vaccine, the government is also preparing to buy the vaccine directly. A tripartite agreement has been signed between the government, Serum Institute of India and Beximco Pharmaceuticals. According to the agreement, Bangladesh will be able to buy the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine for four dollars. The total cost of transportation from the manufacturing company will add up to one more dollar. Bangladesh will be able to buy 30 million doses. About 735 crore has been invested by the finance department for this.
The agreement has been made considering the safety of the people. Dr. Shamsul Haque said that communication is going on with Sinovac, Sputnik-5 vaccine is coming from Russia, they are also in contact. Contact is also being made with JSK's Senofi and Pfizer.
Director General of the Directorate of Health, Professor Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid Alam chaired the meeting attended by CMSD Director Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, Additional Director General of Health (Administration) Dr. Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General (Research and Development) Prof. Mirzadi Sebrina Flora and other officials.