Reza Mahmud :
Vaccine is the only viable option to get the world out of the coronavirus pandemic, as there is no substitute medicine as yet to treat the Corona patients.
In this view, public health experts have urged the government to prepare blueprint to vaccinate the people as per the doses we get first avoiding anarchies.
Countries like the USA, the UK, Germany, China, Russia and Malaysia are trying their utmost to develop a vaccine to prevent the fatal virus infection.
Russia and China have advanced in the process. The Asian giant has already introduced its first ever developed vaccine to their Army and physicians.
Besides, a Russian vaccine has already been put on trial and got significant success.
World famous medical journal The Lancet found the success in its research. It has published its research report on Friday saying the Russian vaccine successfully developed antibody to the volunteers’ body without any adverse reaction.
Higher health officials of USA also expressed their optimism that their people will get a vaccine within October.
In this situation, Bangladesh is also trying to get vaccines to protect its people from the lethal disease.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that side by side allowing Chinese vaccine’s trial in Bangladesh, the government is also trying to get access to Oxford University which developed vaccine and other vaccines including Russian one.
Sources said it may not be easy to provide millions of doses of vaccine within short time as the whole world is waiting tirelessly to get a dose.
Public health experts said, the rich countries of the world like Saudi Arabia, Iran and some other countries might purchase first of those vaccines.
The rich and developed countries which have not joined the race to invent a vaccine are joining the rally to purchase those from the probable producers.
Most of those capable countries are passing busy time now to bargain with companies or countries involved in developing a vaccine.
Besides, World Health Organisation (WHO) has prepared a blue print to donate Covid-19 vaccines to less developed and poor nations.
They have included Bangladesh in their lists.
But Public health experts said it will be too late to get a vaccine allotment from WHO because the producers must pay heed to the rich and developed countries first as they have booked with cash from very beginning of their initiatives.
In these circumstances, the public health experts said the government has to prepare a blueprint first with technical hands that how it want to distribute the vaccine with proper discipline.
They urged the government to work in two ways in this regard.
The experts asked to firstly try to get a effective vaccine first and then prepare a road map that how to vaccinise the people on priority basis.
“Bangladesh government should ensure availability of vaccines for its citizens first. We are to choose the right vaccines from the variety of vaccines early available which are of good quality, no adverse effect and effective,” Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of WHO told The New Nation.
He said, “We should start contact with vaccine producers on the basis of our choices. We should develop a procurement policy with a strategic plan so it can be made available at the soonest.”
The professor also asked the government to prepare a strategic plan that as per the availability of vaccines which people should be given priority first.
“Policy and plan should also be made who will have priority to get the vaccine. One priority could be senior citizens and other with morbidities. Government should start the home work in these issues and timely a right decision is vital in Corona crisis,” he said.
The expert said an early blue print can save time and lives and prevent anarchies to vaccinate our people within short time after getting a vaccine in our desirable time.
When contacted, Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told the New Nation, “The government is surely working to make a strategy that how to vaccinate the people. We are working that how much doses of vaccine are going to get and which people should be given priority to vaccinise first.”
She said the coronavirus created a worldwide pandemic so that the Bangladesh government is also alert like others about vaccinate people properly.
Besides, experts from two UK universities are preparing a blue print supported by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology BUET and BRAC University.
Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), an international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University will create the roadmap and model for global COVID-19 vaccination. University of Birmingham’s website published the report on Saturday.
