Bangladesh has received 1.8 million more Pfizer vaccine jabs donated by the United States as part of its broader commitment to lead the global Covid-19 response.
The new doses will help the government of Bangladesh continue expanding the Covid-19 vaccinations for young people ages 12 and up and reach its goal of vaccinating 40 percent of the eligible population by the end of 2021, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The donation of Pfizer jabs is part of the broader commitment by the United States to lead the global Covid-19 response by providing one billion doses of Pfizer vaccine doses around the world—free of charge—through 2022, it said.
The United States is also working closely with Bangladesh to support the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign and strengthen the government’s response to the pandemic.
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The US has provided training to over 6,800 healthcare professionals to help them safely administer vaccines and donated 18 cold-chain freezer trucks and support for health facilities to properly store and transport Covid-19 vaccines across the country.
In addition to vaccine donations and support, the US government has contributed over $121 million in Covid-related assistance.
This assistance has saved lives and treated individuals infected with Covid-19, strengthened testing capacity and monitoring, enhanced case management and infection prevention and control practices, and improved the supply chain and logistics management systems, said the Embassy.
US support also protects frontline workers and increases the public’s knowledge about Covid-19, including ways to protect themselves.
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The United States has donated $4 billion to support the worldwide Covax efforts, which includes support for ultra-cold chain storage, transportation, and safe handling of Covid-19 vaccines, making the United States the world’s largest donor for equitable global Covid-19 vaccine access.