The first consignment of the coronavirus-resistant vaccine Pfizer BioNtech is arriving in Bangladesh from Covax on Monday (May 31).
Officials of Expanded Immunization Program (EPI) confirmed the matter.
One lakh 620 doses of Pfizer vaccine will arrive in the country on a Qatar Airlines flight on Monday night, they said.
Pfizer's vaccine comes from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), an international platform designed to ensure immunization in poor countries. GAVI, which has been instrumental in saving the lives of children in poor countries from deadly and contagious diseases has taken the initiative to vaccinate 92 low- and middle-income countries around the world against coronavirus. The international platform Covax has been set up to ensure that poor countries receive vaccinations.
Bangladesh plans to bring more than 13 crore people under the vaccination program to combat coronavirus infection. Bangladesh is hoping to get 6 crore 80 lakh doses of vaccine from Covax.