BD to start co-producing Covid vaccines soon: Foreign Minister

Dhaka: On the backdrop of rising cases of coronavirus across the country, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen announced that Bangladesh will soon commence co-producing vaccines for Covid-19. Dhaka has already received a proposal in this regard, the minister mentioned, without giving out any further detail.

Foreign Minister Momen said this after receiving 245,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on July 24. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki was also present on the occasion.

The minister expressed his gratitude to the people and government of Japan for providing the vaccines. He further stated that more than double the amount received on July 24 would arrive on July 30.

“Japan will send us 3 million plus AstraZeneca vaccines in total. Earlier, the number was 2.9 million. Later another 150,000 were added,” the minister confirmed.

Momen said that there would be no shortage of vaccines in the coming months as over 20 million vaccines were in the pipeline.

He also urged there is no alternative to producing the vaccines in Bangladesh, as coronavirus is not going away anytime soon.

All Nippon Airways Cargo along with its interline partner Cathay Pacific Cargo brought the AstraZeneca vaccines on July 24 afternoon from Tokyo to Dhaka under the Japanese Government COVAX Facility to Bangladesh.

Representatives of All Nippon Airways and Cathay Pacific in Bangladesh expressing gratitude for the successful flight operation to deliver the vaccines

The Government of Japan has decided to provide approximately 3 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in Japan, through the COVAX facility, to Bangladesh, as part of assistance by Japan to contribute to the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.