Govt to start inoculation drive with China’s vaccine on May 25

The government will begin the first inoculation drive with the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, donated by the Chinese government, from May 25.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque came up with the announcement after the regular weekly cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat this afternoon.

“Discussion is going on with Russia, China, the UK and the USA to get more doses of vaccine. We hope we will be able to give you (journalists) good news immediately,” the health minister said while addressing the press conference.

He said around four thousand people are meeting the tragic end of their lives and three to four lakh people are being infected with the virus on an average per day in India while Bangladesh is in a secured position till now.

Though the Indian variant entered Bangladesh, it cannot spread around the country due to the contract tracing at appropriate time, the health minister said.

“We will have to remain watchful for some days and all bordering areas will have to keep closed until the Covid-19 situation in India improves,” he said.

Alongside purchasing of the vaccine from different countries, the government is working to produce the jab locally to fight the pandemic.

Interested drug makers will have to take approval from the Central Drug Administration and it will allow one or more companies to locally produce the vaccine after conducting a feasibility study.

Earlier on May 12, five lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses, donated by the Chinese government to Bangladesh, were handed over to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at the state guest house Padma.

Zahid Maleque was also present at the vaccine handover function.

A flight, carrying the vaccine, reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the morning on the same day.

Although facing difficulties of huge domestic demand and a tight supply of the international market, China gave the vaccine to Bangladesh as a special gift on the occasion of Eid festival, upholding the profound traditional friendship between the two countries.