Health Minister Zahid Malek has said that the coronavirus vaccine made by Oxford University in the United Kingdom will arrive in Bangladesh anytime next January.
The health minister made the remarks at the signing ceremony of a procurement agreement signed by the Department of Health with Seram Institute of India and Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited of Bangladesh on Sunday, December 13.
He said 50 lakh vaccines for the first phase of 30 million doses would arrive in January. Then 50 lakh vaccines will come at each step.
The health minister said, “I have signed the purchase document of 30 million doses of Oxford. It will be sent to the Serum Institute. They will get it by December 15. Hopefully, I will get the vaccine sometime in January. Prior to this, however, the approval of the World Health Organization will be required. There is also the matter of approval of the Department of Drug Administration of the country. Hopefully, approval will be available soon.”
The Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus (Covid-19) 30 million dose vaccine has been purchased from the Serum Institute of India. Under the agreement, Bangladesh will receive a total of 30 million vaccines at a cost of TK. 50 lakh in the next six months starting from January.
Director General of the Department of Health Prof. Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Additional Director General of the Department Prof. Nasima Sultana, Prof. Meerjady Sabrina Flora, Managing Director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Nazmul Hasan and others were present at the signing ceremony.
News Room, December 13,2020