Bangladesh
Covid-19 Vaccine Bangladesh has completed the overall preparations for the distribution of vaccines
Dhaka, January 20: As per the earlier plan, preparations are being made to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine across the country in early February, with the first shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine expected to arrive next week, officials said.
Professor Dr. Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of the Department of Health (DGHS), told state-run news agency BSS that the first shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine would arrive in the country by January 26.
Alam said about 5 million vaccine doses would reach the country in the first shipment by the end of the month. In the first week of February, his office completed all the necessary preparations for the commencement of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination.
DGHS officials had earlier said that as part of the preparations, necessary preparations have been made for a nationwide expanded immunisation program in stock of vaccines supplied by the co-producing Serum Institute of India.
Alam said, "People will be vaccinated free of cost, meaning the government will bear all the costs of the vaccination program." As a part, Bangladesh will get primary vaccine supply. Under the agreement, Bangladesh will receive 30 million doses of vaccine from the Serum Institute in phases.
Medical practitioners and medical professionals, law enforcement officers, media personnel and local government officials and employees, the elderly, and people with close contact with Covid-19 patients are listed on the vaccine priority group.
The government has formed a team of 6 health workers to distribute the vaccine properly. At present, 7,344 teams have been formed across the country. According to the senior health officials, 42,000 health workers have been trained.
The Department of Drug Administration has been tasked with strictly overseeing the entire vaccine distribution process among the enlisted persons and the DGHS will regularly disseminate the vaccine distribution bulletin and provide necessary information to the public.
EPI director Dr. Md. Shamsul Haque said his office could store 14 to 15 crore and 4.25 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses in each district level hospital.
