Health minister hopes to get 110 million vaccine doses by December

Bangladesh hopes to procure 110 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from different sources by December enabling it to provide jabs to over 50 million people, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Saturday.

Speaking in Manikganj, Maleque said negotiations to sign a vaccine agreement with Russia are at an advanced level.

He also added that the country will also receive doses of the Moderna vaccine very soon.

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The minister stated that negotiations with the relevant stakeholders to manufacture vaccines in the country are going on in full swing.

"There will be a vaccine plant in Gopalganj soon," he said.

The minister did not hide his disappointment for not getting the desired number of vaccines from countries like India.

“Although we signed an agreement to get 30 million vaccine doses from India, we only received 10 million doses,” he said.

The government wants to rely more on vaccines instead of lockdowns to tackle the pandemic.

“Although enforcing lockdowns is an effective method to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission, it comes with major economic repercussions. But enforcing a lockdown was the only way out as we do not have enough vaccines yet,” the minister said.