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Bangladesh now depends on US for AstraZeneca jab


Published : 05 May 2021 10:07 PM | Updated : 06 May 2021 01:10 AM

Bangladesh is now depending on the US response to get the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab to fill-up the gap for completing the second dose.

The government stopped giving the first dose as the Serum Institute of India could not deliver the vaccine as expected.

More than 8 million people were vaccinated with the first dose. There is a gap of 2 million doses to complete the second dose for all of them.

The US will share up to 60 million doses of its Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said they were in touch with the US government to get expected doses from them.

“Our ambassador in Washington is in touch,” he said, adding that the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller will also meet him on Thursday to have an update on the overall issues, including oxygen supply to Bangladesh.

Replying to a question, he said they are also in talks with India. “We asked them to give us at least 2 million doses to complete the second doses, but did not get any reply,” he said.

He also asked the Bangladesh diaspora to keep pressure on the US government so that they feel the urgency.

The foreign minister said the US assured the world of making the vaccines available for other countries, including in Bangladesh, once they have surplus.

John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, during his visit to Dhaka last month also assured that.

Bangladesh also received proposals from some European countries for the Oxford’s vaccine.

“But their total amount of available vaccines is very small in size,” the foreign minister said, adding that they are exploring all the options to meet the vaccine demand.

“Our Prime Minister told us that ‘if needed we will bring vaccine by using C130 transport aircraft’”.

Bangladesh has received 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India through its contract. Besides, India also gave 3.3 million doses of vaccine to Bangladesh as a gift

This is the largest amount sent from India to any country.

Recently, the government approved emergency use of Chinese and Russian vaccines.

The foreign minister said the Chinese government will send 5 lakh doses of vaccine as a gift by May 12.