Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said Bangladesh is expected to receive 500,000 doses of Chinese vaccine for Covid-19 on May 10.
“The government is trying to collect Russian and Chinese vaccines . We hope that the first 5 lakh doses of Chinese vaccine will arrive by May 10 as a gift,” the minister said to newsmen after attending the weekly cabinet meeting at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Monday.
He also said a recommendation to extend the ongoing lockdown has sent for prime minister’s approval.
A nurse holds China's Sinovac vaccine for Covid-19 ReutersEarlier last week, Bangladesh approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm for emergency use, after clearing Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine earlier this week amid a supply crunch.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) announced the approval on April 29 at a press conference.
“We expect a shipment of 500,000 doses as gift to arrive within two weeks,” said DGDA Director General Mahbubur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune.
The health authorities will vaccinate 1,000 people in the beginning to observe the effect, he said before adding: “Mass inoculation will start after the observation period.”
The second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine needs to be administered after 28 days of the first jab, according to the DGDA chief.
