Dhaka, Jan 23 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to launch coronavirus vaccination drive at Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital on January 27. She will inaugurate the vaccination virtually, said Abdul Mannan, Secretary of Health Service Division of the Health Ministry on Saturday.
The primary vaccine campaign will begin by vaccinating a nurse at the hospital, he said.
Covid-19 fatalities in Bangladesh soared to 8,003 after the health authorities confirmed 22 more deaths in 24 hours until this morning.
The caseload now stands at 531,326 with 436 new cases reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18. The caseload hit 500,000-mark on December 20 while the death toll exceeded 7,000 on December 12.
Arrival of vaccine
Two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine ‘gifted’ by India reached Dhaka on Thursday.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami handed over the vaccine to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a ceremony at state guesthouse Padma.
Foreign Minister Momen said that the arrival of two million doses of Oxford vaccine from India is a sign of strong relations and goodwill between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Thirty million doses of the vaccine are scheduled to arrive between January and June (five million a month) as per the agreement the government signed with Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.
Health Minister Maleque said Bangladesh would receive the first consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine on January 25-26.
“As per the WHO guideline, we’ll first vaccinate those who’re working with risks. And the elderly people will get priority. People below the age of 18 won’t get the vaccine,” the minister said. – UNB
