AMN/ WEB DESK
Bangladesh received 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID 19 vaccine gifted by the US under the COVAX framework of WHO around midnight on Friday and early morning on Saturday. The consignment was received at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by the Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen along with health Minister Zahid Maleque and the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller.
The US embassy said in a statement on Saturday that it is committed to donate 80 million doses of vaccine to support global need for the COVID vaccine. Ambassador Miller said that the 2.5 million doses of the vaccine is only the beginning and the US will donate surplus supply as it becomes available. It has contributed over USD 84 million to Bangladesh in COVID-related development and humanitarian assistance through its various agencies.
Another consignment of the vaccines purchased by the government of Bangladesh was also received around the same time, reports the official news agency BSS. Bangladesh has entered into a commercial agreement with China to purchase 15 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque had announced earlier that the government will resume regular vaccination drives after receiving 4.5 million doses from the US and China.
Bangladesh has so far vaccinated over 56 lakh people with the first dose and approximately 43 lakh people with the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. A very small number of people have also received Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines in the country till date.