Covid-19 Vaccine: 3MN More Moderna Shots Arrive

Bangladesh today received 3 million more doses of the US's Moderna vaccine, gifted by Washington DC under the COVAX framework.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malik received the vaccine from US Charge d'Affaires in Bangladesh JoAnne Wagner at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while the jabs reached at the airport around 9:30 pm.

Senior Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Senior Secretary of Health Services Division Lokman Hossain Miah and other high officials of Bangladesh government were also present.

This consignment is in addition to the first one of 2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine arrived here on July 2 and 3 as gifted by the US under the COVAX arrangement.

These so far received 5.5 million doses Moderna vaccines are part of US government's recent allocation of 25 million jabs for countries in Asia.

More vaccine doses from the US are likely to come in coming months as President Joe Biden promised to share doses of US jabs with other countries around the world via COVAX or directly.

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.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr Momen said Dhaka has already made a good lineup of getting more COVID-19 vaccines from different sources under COVAX along with commercial purchase to ensure steady supply of jabs for the countrymen.

While announcing the US's gift of 3 million more vaccine to Dhaka on Saturday, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller said that the US is committed to increase the country's vaccine supply to beat the pandemic here and worldwide.

The envoy said the US understands urgency of providing "safe" and "effective" COVID vaccine to Bangladesh.