2.45 lakh AstraZeneca shots arrive from Japan

A consignment of some 2,45,200 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the country from Japan on Saturday.

A flight carrying the vaccines landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2:30pm. 

Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen received the consignment at the airport. 

Bangladesh received the jabs under the Covax initiative.

AK Abdul Momen expressed his gratitude in a briefing following the arrival of the vaccines. 

"Japan sent 2.45 lakh vaccines on Saturday and will send more than 30 lakh doses in phases. The next shipment will arrive on Friday next," he said.

The foreign minister affirmed Bangladesh will no longer face any crisis of Covid-19 vaccines, saying, "We have lined up enough vaccines which will come from other countries."

He noted that Bangladesh is also determined to manufacture vaccines locally and is also looking to co-produce vaccines. 

"They (Japan and other vaccine producing countries) will send raw materials and bottling, sampling, and finishing will be completed in Bangladesh," said the minister.

The newly arrived vaccines will be given to 15 lakh people who are awaiting the second shot of Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine. 

So far, 58,20,000 people have taken the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the country and 42,98,000 people have received both shots.

Some 21 crore vaccines managed already

During a zoom meeting on Saturday evening with the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) about the current condition of Covid-19 in the country, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that some 21 crore doses of vaccines have been managed so far for the people in Bangladesh.

"We will receive the vaccines in phases within the next year. Of the vaccines, three crores will arrive from China, seven crores from Covax, one crore from Russia, and three crores of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, and seven crores of Johnson and Johnson vaccine," he added.

The health minister said that by 27 July, some 30 lakh Sinopharm doses will arrive in the country from China. Bangladesh will also get 26 freezers from the World Health Organisation (WHO) where vaccines will be stored in -70c to -80c, he added.

Maleque further said that 90% of the patients admitted in the government hospitals are non-vaccinated, of whom 75% are from rural areas. 

"If we can vaccinate all the elderly people, the death rate will certainly come down," he added.

Earlier on 7 February, Bangladesh launched its vaccination campaign and inoculated around 3% of the population.

But the campaign stumbled due to a suspension of supply by India's Serum Institute, which was supposed to ship three crore shots of AstraZeneca vaccine in phases between January and June.

Serum delivered the first 50 lakh doses in January and stopped the supply the next month after shipping 20 lakh doses. 

Later, Bangladesh suspended administering the first dose of the vaccine on 26 April. It also halted registration for vaccination nine days later.

However, the country resumed mass vaccination with Pfizer and Sinopharm shots on 1 July.