Bangladesh needs minimum 22 to 25 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines to achieve herd immunity, but it has so far ensured only one crore and seven lakh shots of jabs. Lack of insufficient inoculations is a major reason of lagging behind on curbing the contaminations of the deadly pandemic, say health experts.
The experts told this daily on Thursday that many countries of the globe are now choosing herd immunity against this novel virus and they want to achieve the target by vaccinating at least 70 per cent of their population. According to DGHS data updated till Thursday, only 2 per cent of the population have so far got the double-dose of AstraZenaca vaccine while less than 4 per cent got the first dose. About 15 lakh first dose recipients of AstraZeneca vaccines fell into deep uncertainty over getting the second dose in time.
The great mistake the administration has made is that it tried to procure vaccine from a single source — India, which is now unable to provide the same. There are allegations that when the government could not arrange vaccination of even 3 per cent of the population, it is found more interested in big projects for mega corruption.
When the Prime Minister is efficient and all powerful no ministry has been organised to be efficient. Corruption is no crime in the affairs of the present government. So deal making is corruption arrangement. Government facts never remain secret action may be delayed. The government is not accountable for anything and this has made incompetent ones more incompetent. But the deaths of so many people for lack of vaccine and neglected health structure is unforgivable.
Our health authorities have shown total incompetence from the very beginning and indulged in corruption at various stages from corona test to purchase of safety gears like facemasks.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchases at a meeting on Thursday approved a proposal for buying 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine at a cost of Tk 1,267 crore. But an important thing is that a Cabinet Division official after the meeting told reporters that per dose of vaccine will cost $10 and the news spread through different online media outlets. But ministry officials contested the disclosure saying the price has not been approved yet. This is very much fishy.
A recent study shows that the U.K. has vaccinated 90 per cent of its population, the US 85.4 pc, China 35.5 pc, Turkey 33.1 pc, Italy 51.1 pc, Canada 55.7 pc and Saudi Arabia 37 pc of their populations respectively, and curbed infections significantly. Bangladesh had the scope to look for the vaccines manufactured in China and Russia but it did not show any interest in these two alternatives. Since there is no alternative now but to import vaccines hurriedly, it is desperately trying to buy vaccines from these two countries. Yet nobody knows how long it might take to procure 25 crore vaccines.
