US to give 2.5m doses COVID vaccine as gift to Bangladesh

The United States (US) has decided to give 2.5 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Bangladesh as gift under COVAX. 

“Please to announce Bangladesh will soon receive a gift of 2.5 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the American people via Gavi (global vaccine alliance),” said US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R. Miller in his tweeter.           

The COVAX is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization.

“As the largest contributor to COVAX, the US is committed to increasing the country’s (Bangladesh’s) vaccine supply to beat the pandemic here and worldwide,” Milled tweeted.

The US announcement comes as good news for Bangladesh as Dhaka has been desperately looking for vaccines to inoculate huge numbers of people.  

However, Dhaka had urged Washington DC to send 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine immediately after knowing that the US had 60 to 80 million AstraZeneca shots in stock.

Besides, Bangladeshi diaspora community filed a petitioned to the White House, seeking vaccine doses.

Meanwhile, negotiation has been going on between Bangladesh and China and Russia to bring adequate vaccines here as soon as possible while Momen said the government is hopeful to make a formal announcement soon on coproduction of COVID-19 vaccine here.

The health ministry has been negotiating to purchase 1.5 crore doses of Chinese vaccine and to import 5 million doses of Sputnik COVID vaccine from Russia, according to the official sources. 

Source: BSS