Covid to leave country soon, vaccine may not be needed: Health minister

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Saturday that it will not take long for the novel coronavirus to leave Bangladesh and the country may not need a vaccine for it.  

He said different countries have come a long way in developing vaccines.

"We are in contact with the countries that are making the vaccine. We are trying to bring it in. We have a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the day after tomorrow, where many issues including the vaccine will be discussed," he added.

The health minister said this while addressing a discussion on the occasion of National Mourning Day at the auditorium of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Mohakhali on Saturday afternoon.

"We are very happy that the number of Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh has already come down, and the death rate has also come down," he added.

Zahid Maleque said, "It will not take long for Covid-19 to leave Bangladesh. I do not know if we will need a vaccine. Even then, we have made all preparations. We have also made the preparations for the vaccine."

"We are in a much better position now. The death rate of coronavirus is much lower compared to the size of the population," he said. "Our recovery rate is much better – more than 60 percent. The rate of infection is declining. The wheel of the economy was off, but it is now turning again."

Professor Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, presided over the discussion. 

Secretary to the Health Services Department Abdul Mannan, President of Bangladesh Medical Association Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, its Secretary General Dr Ihteshamul Haque Chowdhury and President of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad Professor Dr Iqbal Arslan, among others, spoke at the programme.