A third dose of both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines significantly increased the immune response to the omicron variant, according to a new study by University of Oxford researchers. The laboratory study, which hasn’t been peer reviewed yet, compared antibody levels in blood samples from people who received two doses of vaccine with samples from those who had received a third dose. While two doses provided much less protection against omicron than earlier variants, levels of neutralizing antibodies rose sharply after a third dose, the study found. Also read: Boosters key to fight omicron, lot still to learn “In summary, neutralization titres against omicron are boosted following a third vaccine dose, meaning that the campaign to deploy booster vaccines should add considerable protection against omicron infection,” the researchers wrote. The study also found that unvaccinated people who had recovered from COVID-19 probably have “little protection from reinfection with omicron,” though they may have some protection against serious illness. Also read: Moderna: Initial booster data shows good results on omicron

The United Kingdom (UK) has donated over 4 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh through the COVAX vaccine sharing mechanism. British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson welcomed the arrival of over 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK to Bangladesh. "Like the rest of the world, the UK and Bangladesh have experienced difficult times because of the pandemic. And we’re both in it together in building back better, safer, greener," said the High Commissioner. He said this vaccine donation by the UK is a powerful demonstration of “BritBangla Bondhon” between two countries. “The UK will do everything we can to support Bangladesh to save lives and defeat the pandemic.” READ: AstraZeneca to seek India nod for antibody cocktail Bangladesh’s fight against coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery will be reinforced by the vaccine donations from the UK, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Monday. This donation came as the follow-up of the UK commitment to donate 100 million doses by June 2022 at G7 this year and 80% of those doses donated by the UK will be distributed through COVAX facility. The UK has been at the forefront of the global response to Covid-19, including through investing £90 million, to support the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made by Oxford Bio-medica in Oxford and packaged in Wrexham, North Wales. Over half a billion doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have been delivered at a non-profit price globally, with two-thirds going to lower- and middle-income countries. The UK also started efforts to establish COVAX in 2020, providing a total of £548 million to fund vaccines for lower income countries. The scheme has delivered more than 152 million vaccine doses to over 137 countries and territories, including in 83 lower-middle income countries.

British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca NSE 1.67 % said it intends to apply for emergency use authorisation (EUA) of its long-acting Covid-19 monoclonal antibody cocktail Evusheld in India reported The Economic Times. "The US Food and Drug Administration's EUA approval of AZD7442 for the prevention of Covid-19 is an important milestone globally... we have already initiated engagements with the relevant health authorities in India to provide them with the latest evidence," said Gagandeep Singh Bedi, managing director, AstraZeneca India Pharma. Evusheld is a combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab. The drug received EUA in the US on Thursday for pre-exposure prophylaxis or preventing infection in people aged 12 years and above who are immunocompromised and those who may not mount an adequate immune response to Covid-19 vaccination, as well as those individuals for whom Covid-19 vaccination is not recommended. Also read: AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccines effective against Delta Covid-19 variants: Study Recipients should not be currently infected with or had recent known exposure to a person infected with SARS-CoV-2. The pivotal phase-3 data showed Evusheld provides at least six months of protection. About 2% of the global population is considered at increased risk of an inadequate response to a Covid-19 vaccine. "In India, this percentage could be a bit higher given the problem of underdiagnosis and ignorance. This includes people with blood cancers or other cancers being treated with chemotherapy, and those taking medications after an organ transplant or who are taking immunosuppressive drugs for conditions including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis," said AstraZeneca. Also read: 77.8% efficacy, robust antibody response: 5 points from Lancet's new study on Covaxin

The Polish government has provided 3.2 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh expressing solidarity to the friendly country’s fight against Covid-19 pandemic. Prof Adam Burakowski, the Ambassador of Poland to Bangladesh (resident in New Delhi), handed over the token vaccine doses to Bangladesh side at a ceremony held at state guesthouse Padma on Wednesday. Read: Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults Lokman Hussain Mia, Senior Secretary of Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of Bangladesh and Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, Secretary, MAU and acting Foreign Secretary, received the gifts from the Ambassador at the Padma State Guest House a simple ceremony. The Polish gesture covers a consignment containing 3272, 880 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine (Oxford AstraZeneca) as well as their transport to Dhaka through their own arrangement. Due to the size, the consignment is being sent in three batches. The first batch (1027,290 doses of vaccine) arrived on Wednesday and the second batch (920,790 doses of vaccine) will arrive on Thursday. The third one (1324,800 doses of vaccine) will arrive on November 14. Read: France to donate 2mn doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh: FM The Polish Ambassador said the Covid vaccines are a donation to the government of Bangladesh by the government of Poland as a gesture of friendship to Bangladesh. He expressed the hope that both the countries would soon be able to overcome the pandemic through shared efforts. The acting Foreign Secretary thanked the government of Poland for standing by Bangladesh and mentioned that the friendly gesture would further strengthen the existing bilateral relationship between the friendly countries. He also appreciated the support of Poland in such a time when the government of Bangladesh planned to inoculate its population. The handing over ceremony was followed by lunch hosted by the acting Foreign Secretary.  

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said France declared 2 million doses Covid-19 for Bangladesh as donation. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and French Prime Minister Jean Castex, Dr Momen said.  Bangladesh will get around 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Saudi Arabia.  Also Read: Warm welcome to Hasina at French presidential palace "Our Ambassador in Riyadh has informed me that 1499270 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine will come from the King Salman Relief Fund," he said in a message from Paris. The vaccine doses will arrive in Dhaka over the next two to three days, Dr Momen said.  Meanwhile, he said, Poland will provide 3.3 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses free of cost to Bangladesh. Also Read: Be humane in building livable society for differently-abled people: FM These are expected to be shipped any day, Dr Momen said.  Poland donated these vaccine doses through the European Union (EU).

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said Bangladesh will soon get around 5 million of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Poland and Saudi Arabia as gifts.  Bangladesh will get around 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Saudi Arabia.  "Our Ambassador in Riyadh has informed me that 1499,270 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine will come from the King Salman Relief Fund," he said in a message from Paris, France on Tuesday. READ: Bangladesh receives 10 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India The vaccine doses will arrive in Dhaka by the next two to three days, Dr Momen said.  Meanwhile, he said, Poland will provide 3.3 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses free of cost to Bangladesh. These are being shipped, Dr Momen said. READ: One million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to reach Dhaka from India today   Poland donated these vaccine doses through the European Union (EU)

Bangladesh on Saturday received 10 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine as part of commercial purchase from India. The consignment arrived at 17:40pm, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, mentioning that this is commercial supply against the Beximco’s purchase order. Bangladesh has so far received 8 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. READ: Bangladesh to get 2 lakh AstraZeneca shots from Romania as gift Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift.

One million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine will reach Dhaka from India on Saturday, Indian High Commission in Dhaka has said.  The consignment is scheduled to arrive at 17:40pm on Saturday from the Serum Institute of India.   READ: Bangladesh to get 2 lakh AstraZeneca shots from Romania as gift This is commercial supply against the Beximco order, it said. Earlier, the Indian government announced resumption of Covid vaccine exports from October amid improvement of COVID situation.  The world's largest vaccine producer had halted exports in April to cater to domestic demand as infections shot up. Bangladesh entered into a deal with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to purchase 30 million doses of a potential vaccine developed by AstraZeneca. Bangladesh was supposed to get five million doses of vaccine per month as the SII and Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharma signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for priority delivery of the vaccine doses. READ: 2 lakh AstraZeneca doses to reach Dhaka from Maldives Wednesday Bangladesh has so far received only 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift.

Bangladesh will receive more than 2 lakh doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, as a gift, from the Maldives tonight. A bilateral agreement was signed between the Maldives' Health Minister Ahmed Naseem and Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, the Bangladesh high commissioner to the archipelagic state, Wednesday. As a token of goodwill, the Maldives has gifted Bangladesh 201,800 vaccine doses.

Bangladesh will receive 781,440 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan Saturday. A flight of All Nippon Airways, carrying the vaccine shots, left Japan's Narita International Airport Friday. The vaccine doses are scheduled to arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Saturday on a flight of Cathay Pacific. Read: Bangladesh to resume administering AstraZeneca jabs Monday With this shipment, the total amount of dispatched vaccines from Japan as of today stands at over 2.4 million. This delivery is a part of Japan's commitment to supplying over 3 million doses of vaccine under the WHO-COVAX mechanism. Read: Over 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses received from Japan Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed was present at the airport during vaccine dispatch. Counsellor (Labour) Md Zakir Hossain and First Secretary (Political) Arif Mohammad were also present at that time.