Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said Bangladesh is keeping close communication with companies that are at the final stage of Covid-19 vaccine development.
“Many countries are working quickly for COVID-19 vaccine development campaign… But nine companies are at the conclusive stage in the race of vaccine development. We are keeping constant communication with five companies to get effective vaccines at the snappiest conceivable time,” he said.
PM Sheik Hasina has given all essential guidelines to make all arrangements including budgetary issues for collecting effective and safe vaccine soon after it is developed by a company, the minister told a function at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the capital, an official release said.
Bangladesh is successfully handling the Covid-19 pandemic through taking prompt preventive measures to contain the spread of the deadly virus, he said, adding the government has been taking multiple measures to contain the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.
About the second wave of coronavirus, Maleque said many countries across the world including the USA and some European nations ignored the deadly virus and as a result, they are facing a second wave of Covid-19.
“We are now aware enough of the second wave of the deadly disease…. Bangladesh may face the second wave of coronavirus. So, we have to be careful,” he added.
The health ministry sources said many countries including China, the UK, the USA, Russia and India are in the final stage for vaccine development as they are performing phase-3 human trial of Covid-19 vaccine.
If these countries are able to develop coronavirus vaccines, Bangladesh will get inoculations on a priority basis, they said, adding those countries with per capita income below 4000 US dollar will get vaccines for free. As the per capita income of Bangladesh is below 2,000 US dollars, the country will get the vaccine for free.
Photo credit: Collected
News source: BSS
