Sinopharm, Sputnik recommended as alternatives to Oxford vaccine

The government's expert committee has recommended that vaccines from Chinese company Sinopharm and Sputnik V of Russia be used as alternatives to the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India.

The committee on Monday sent the appraisal report to the Prime Minister's Office, as Serum Institute has stopped supplying the Covid vaccine in breach of a contract of supplying 3 crore doses of it in six months.

"We've shortlisted the vaccines from Sinopharm and Sputnik V of Russia," said Major General Mahbubur Rahman, director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration. 

"We've sent the appraisal report to the PMO and the government agencies concerned will now procure the vaccines from these countries," said Mahbubur who heads the eight-member expert committee.

In the wake of an uncertainty over the supply of vaccines from Indian Serum Institute, the government on 20 April formed the committee to send recommendations to the Prime Minister's Office by Monday on using alternatives to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for continuing the mass Covid vaccination programme.

Bangladesh has a purchase deal of 3 crore doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca developed vaccines with Serum and its local vendor Beximco Pharma.

The country last received 20 lakh doses of the vaccine in February this year and 70 lakh in total thus far.

India has reportedly put a temporary hold on all major exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by Serum in a bid to meet the country's local demand.

Due to the supply failure, Bangladesh has cut short the mass vaccination programme, which began on 7 February, suspending the inoculation of its first-dose Covid vaccination for an indefinite period from Monday.