Staff Reporter :
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said Bangladesh will receive the first cache of five million Covid-19 vaccines from India’s Serum Institute in the last week of January or the first week of February.
The minister said it after signing the procurement agreement between India’s Serum Institute, Beximco Pharma of Bangladesh and Directorate General of Health Services.
The signing ceremony took place at the DGHS in the capital.
According to the agreement, Bangladesh will
receive 30 million vaccines, of which five million to be received in next six months.
Zahid Maleque said, “The first phase of five million vaccines will be received after January 15 which will be used to vaccinate 2.5 million people. Hopefully the vaccinations will begin from January.”
The minister also said that they would ask Serum Institute to provide vaccines for all the people of Bangladesh.
If they fail to supply the vaccines, another institute will be contracted.
On November 28, Serum Institute said it would apply for an emergency license for a coronavirus vaccine within two weeks, and that confusion over the efficacy would not delay its distribution.
Serum Institute’s officials said that it would be able to produce at least 100 million doses of covid-19 vaccine within a month from early 2021.
The vaccine is to be produced in India and it was developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University.
The MoU was signed on November 5, where a condition was signed that the final procurement agreement to be inked within December 15, and it is done.
“We have completed the final procurement agreement and sent it to the serum in India so that they can be done their part and to send us soon,” the minister said.
The minister said, “Soon after the World Health Organisation gives approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, we will get it.”
He said also that the bringing process, hoarding and distribution process have been okayed. Now the training of our manpower will be involved in vaccination are ongoing.
Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General of the DGHS, Aditional Director General (Administration) of DGHS Professor Nasima Sultana and Additional Director General (Research and Development) Professor Meerzady Sebrina Flora and Managing Director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Nazmul Hasan were present.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said Bangladesh will receive the first cache of five million Covid-19 vaccines from India’s Serum Institute in the last week of January or the first week of February.
The minister said it after signing the procurement agreement between India’s Serum Institute, Beximco Pharma of Bangladesh and Directorate General of Health Services.
The signing ceremony took place at the DGHS in the capital.
According to the agreement, Bangladesh will
receive 30 million vaccines, of which five million to be received in next six months.
Zahid Maleque said, “The first phase of five million vaccines will be received after January 15 which will be used to vaccinate 2.5 million people. Hopefully the vaccinations will begin from January.”
The minister also said that they would ask Serum Institute to provide vaccines for all the people of Bangladesh.
If they fail to supply the vaccines, another institute will be contracted.
On November 28, Serum Institute said it would apply for an emergency license for a coronavirus vaccine within two weeks, and that confusion over the efficacy would not delay its distribution.
Serum Institute’s officials said that it would be able to produce at least 100 million doses of covid-19 vaccine within a month from early 2021.
The vaccine is to be produced in India and it was developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University.
The MoU was signed on November 5, where a condition was signed that the final procurement agreement to be inked within December 15, and it is done.
“We have completed the final procurement agreement and sent it to the serum in India so that they can be done their part and to send us soon,” the minister said.
The minister said, “Soon after the World Health Organisation gives approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, we will get it.”
He said also that the bringing process, hoarding and distribution process have been okayed. Now the training of our manpower will be involved in vaccination are ongoing.
Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General of the DGHS, Aditional Director General (Administration) of DGHS Professor Nasima Sultana and Additional Director General (Research and Development) Professor Meerzady Sebrina Flora and Managing Director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Nazmul Hasan were present.
