Bangladesh has received 4.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in four shipments, all of which arrived in the course of a few hours.
A shipment of 1 million Sinopharm doses from China arrived about an hour and a half later, followed by two more flights at 5:30 am and 8:45 am Saturday, according to airport authorities.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and senior officials went to the airport to receive the doses.
The Moderna vaccine, approved by Bangladesh on Jun 29, will be the fourth to be administered against the coronavirus in the country.
“This is a gift, at no cost, from the American people,” said Earl R Miller, US ambassador to Dhaka. “We share these vaccines with the singular objective of saving lives. Because it is the right thing to do. It is what Americans do in times of need. When we have the capacity, we have the will, and we step up and we deliver."
The ambassador said the US was the largest aid donor to Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response, contributing $84 billion to the country’s efforts to combat the pandemic.
“This assistance includes the delivery of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, 1200 pulse oximeters, over two million pieces of personal protective equipment, five million surgical masks, and 52,000 pairs of protective goggles to protect thousands of frontline healthcare workers in Bangladesh.”
“And to be clear: the vaccine donations arriving tonight and in a few hours are only the beginning. The US understands the urgency of getting as many safe and effective vaccines to Bangladesh as quickly as possible.”
No comments