Bangladesh will receive 7,81,320 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday as the second consignment of pledged more than three million doses of such jabs from Japan under COVAX framework.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed saw off the second consignment of Japan manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine at the Narita airport near Tokyo Saturday, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.
The freight of ANA carrying the vaccine departed from the Narita Airport Terminal-1 at 10:40pm (Japan local time) Friday night and is scheduled to arrive Dhaka at around 3:00pm on Saturday.
On July 24, Bangladesh received 2,45,200 doses of Astra Zeneca vaccine as the first consignment from Japan under the COVAX facilities.
COVAX, a global alliance, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
These consignments of vaccine is important for Bangladesh as around 1.5 million people are waiting for the second dose of this Oxford made vaccine.
Bangladesh has so far received 1.2 crore doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII).
Earlier, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said the government has already made a good lineup of getting more Covid-19 vaccines from different sources under COVAX along with commercial purchase to ensure steady supply of jabs for the countrymen.
