Bangladesh will not face shortage of vaccine doses, health minister assures

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has assured the people that Bangladesh will not face any shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses as the country ensured supply of adequate doses of the vaccine.

“There’s nothing to be worried about it as the country has no shortage of doses ... There won’t be any crisis in the future," the minister said at function of Dhaka Dental College on Wednesday, report BSS and UNB.

“We have distributed required number of vaccine doses to all designated hospitals across the country… if necessary, we will provide more doses to these hospitals to bring all people under vaccination coverage,” he added.

He said Bangladesh is way ahead in vaccination campaign as most countries are yet to get their doses.

The minister said Bangladesh has so far brought 7.0 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and 2.2 million more doses will be brought by February 22.

"Around 2.5 million people have registered so far for receiving the jab and the government is providing the doses at free of cost." he informed.

“We will collect vaccine every month to make countrywide vaccination coverage a success,” he added.

The minister said according to World Health Organization’s directive, the second dose will have to be taken after 8 weeks of the first shot.

After the first dose, three months is the time limit for receiving the second one, Minister Maleque said, noting that the vaccine is more effective when you wait longer to receive the second jab.

He said text messages are sent to people according to a particular centre’s capacity to inoculate within a day.