AstraZeneca
Over 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses received from Japan
Bangladesh has so far received 1,643,300 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan with the arrival of the third consignment of 616,780 doses under the COVAX facility.
“Japan will provide 3 million (doses of AstraZeneca) in total to Bangladesh and so far dispatched 1,643,300 doses,” said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito after handing over the third consignment to Bangladesh.
The Ambassador said he is pleased that with the gift from the Japanese people, AstraZeneca’s second dose administering resumed on Monday.
Read: Third consignment of AstraZeneca jabs from Japan to reach Dhaka Tuesday
The Japanese government is providing the vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility to meet the urgent needs of the Bangladeshi people who have been long waiting for the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Third consignment of AstraZeneca jabs from Japan to reach Dhaka Tuesday
The third consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday.
A flight of All Nippon Airways (ANA), carrying an amount of 6,16,780 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, left the Terminal-1, Narita airport at 21:15 hrs on Monday.
The consignment is set to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Dhaka on Tuesday by Cathay Pacific cargo flight, officials said.
Also read: Bangladesh receives around 8 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
With the third consignment, the total number of dispatched vaccines from Japan as of now stands at 16,43,300.
Vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs in Bangladesh to resume within days
Bangladesh will resume vaccination with Astrazeneca shots within the next few days, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
“We’ll resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs within the next 2-1 days. Those who failed to take the second dose after getting the first one will be able to get it now,” he said.
The minister said this while speaking to reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after receiving the second consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan.
He said the government currently has a stock of more than 10 lakh doses of Astrazeneca vaccine.
Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues
“We’ll get 6 lakh doses more of the vaccine on Aug 3,” Zahid added.
Bangladesh to receive 2nd consignment of Astrazeneca doses from Japan Saturday
Bangladesh will receive the second consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan under the COVAX facility on Saturday.
The consignment, being carried by All Nippon Airways (ANA), contains 7,81,320 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, raising the total jabs of the vaccine in Bangladesh to one million.
The flight left Narita Airport Terminal 1 at 22:40 hrs (JST). The delivery is part of Japan's announced commitment of supplying over 3.0 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine in phases to Bangladesh under WHO-COVAX mechanism.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen received the first consignment of 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan on July 24.
Read: Bangladesh receives 30 lakh Sinopharm vaccine jabs
Bangladesh to resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs soon
Bangladesh will resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs soon, said DGHS spokesperson Prof Dr Nazmul Islam on Wednesday.
“We had to stop giving Astrazeneca vaccine to people halfway through due to its short supply. But we’re hopeful of resuming its rollout soon as we’ve received a supply from Japan,” he said during the regular briefing of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
"We’ll get more AstraZeneca supplies within a few days. The wait of those who’re worried about the second dose will hopefully end soon,” he added.
Read: Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
Responding to a question on why the vaccination drive with Astrazeneca has not resumed yet, the spokesperson said,” We’re waiting for the arrival of further supplies.”
Bangladesh received the first consignment of 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan on July 24.
Read: Age limit to be lowered to 18 for Covid vaccination: Health DG
The vaccine doses came under the COVAX facility.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito earlier said Japan would provide a total of 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh to go for Covid vaccine coproduction soon: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday said Bangladesh will go for coproduction of Covid-19 vaccines soon, emphasizing that there is no alternative to production of vaccines locally.
"It's a coproduction. They (partner countries) will send it in bulk and we’ll do other things here - bottling, labeling and finishing," he told reporters after receiving the first consignment of 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan.
Dr Momen said the countries that went for coproduction of vaccines are doing well.
A cargo flight of Cathay Pacific Airways carried the vaccine doses that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Also read: India working to resume vaccine export to Bangladesh, reiterates Doraiswami
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito, Health Services Division Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah and personal physician of the Prime Minister Professor Dr ABM Abdullah were present.
The vaccine doses came under the COVAX facility.
Dhaka to receive 2.45 lakh AstraZeneca jabs from Tokyo Saturday
Some 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine are scheduled to arrive here on Saturday from Japan.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen will receive the vaccine doses that will come under COVAX facility.
A Cathay Pacific Airways flight will carry the vaccine doses that will land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the afternoon on the day.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki on Friday said Japan will provide in total 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh.
All adults to be gradually vaccinated: Health Minister
Expanding the vaccine eligibility target, Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said everyone above 18 years will gradually be vaccinated in Bangladesh.
“Arrangements are being made to gradually bring all citizens above 18 years under the Covid-19 vaccination programme in order to revive the country's education system,” he said.
Zahid Maleque came up with the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a progamme on Covid-19 ICU Bed Expansion and inauguration of Outpatient Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Also read: 35-years-olds to be made eligible for Covid jabs: DGHS DG
“At present, the government has 45 lakh doses of vaccines in stock. We’ll receive 29 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine very soon. Besides, Pfizer vaccine doses will reach the country within the next month,” he added.
India’s Bharat Biotech says vaccine 93.4% effective against severe COVID-19
Indian company Bharat Biotech said on Saturday its late-stage testing of a COVID-19 vaccine has shown an overall efficacy of 77.8% and effectiveness against all variants.
The company in a statement said it is now in discussions with the World Health Organisation to obtain emergency use listing for its vaccine, marketed as Covaxin, reports Gulf News.
Read:India to maintain warships in Gulf zone to aid merchant ship
The results set to rest questions raised by health experts over Bharat Biotech’s vaccine when it was given emergency use authorisation by the Indian government in January.
They felt that the company didn’t have enough clinical trials, making it almost impossible for the firm to have analysed and submitted data showing that its shots are effective in preventing illness from the coronavirus.
The company says the vaccine has already received emergency use authorizations in 16 countries including India, the Philippines, Iran and Mexico. Millions of Indian also have been inoculated with the same vaccine.
Read:India: Modi govt inducts 43 new Ministers in major Cabinet rejig
It says the late-stage trial showed the vaccine was 93.4% effective against severe symptomatic COVID-19 and showed effectiveness of 77.8% against symptomatic COVID-19. The data also demonstrated 65.2% protection against the delta variant, first identified in India.
Last month, vaccine maker AstraZeneca Plc also said its vaccine was effective against the Delta and Kappa variants, citing a study.
India has been administering the AstraZeneca vaccine, made domestically by the Serum Institute of India, which said last month it planned to step up monthly production from July, to nearly 100 million doses.
Bharat Biotech now estimates it will make 23 million doses a month.
Read: India gives aluminum battery a chance to take on lithium in electric vehicles
The Phase-III data came as Ocugen Inc, which is co-developing Covaxin with Bharat Biotech for the US market, prepares to file a request for full US approval.
India, with a tally of 30.45 million infections, is the second most affected nation after the United States, with 33 million. The south Asian nation’s death toll has now crossed 400,000.
Australia official urges against AstraZeneca
The top health official in Australia’s Queensland state is advising adults under age 40 not to take the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine because of the risk of a rare blood clotting disorder, even though the Australian government is making those shots available to all adults.
Read:Australia battles several clusters in new pandemic phase
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said Wednesday that younger adults should wait for the scarce Pfizer vaccine to become available. Young says that with only 42 coronavirus cases active in Queensland, AstraZeneca is not worth the risk for younger adults.
The federal government decided Monday to make AstraZeneca available to all adults as concerns grow about clusters of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which is thought to be more contagious.
Read:Australian court upholds ban on most international travel
Australian authorities still say Pfizer is the preferred option for people younger than 60.