Covid-19

Moderna vaccines arriving this evening

Diplomatic Correspondent

Dhaka

Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken 31 October, 2020. Reuters file photo

At around 7:30pm today, Monday, 3 million (30 lakh) doses of the Moderna vaccine are to arrive, sent through the global vaccine initiative COVAX. This was confirmed by officials of the foreign ministry.

With this consignment, the US will be providing 5 million (50 lakh) doses of the vaccine to Bangladesh through COVAX. The vaccines were scheduled to arrive Monday morning but were delayed due to changes in the flight schedule.

Bangladesh is on the list of countries for which the US has allocated 30 million vaccines to be provided directly or by means of COVAX. On 22 June the White House announced that it would provide 8 countries in South Asia, including Bangladesh, with the vaccine, as well as 18 other countries in Asia with 16 million (1 crore 60 lakh) vaccines. Bangladesh is also on the list of 30 countries and blocs to which the US will directly provide 14 million (1 crore 40 lakh) doses of the vaccines.

On 3 June, the White House announced it would distribute 25 million (2.5 crore) vaccines. Of this, 7 million (70 lakh) would go to Asian countries, including Bangladesh.

The vaccines which the US is supplying from its stock are from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. If approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the AstraZeneca vaccine will be added to this list.