5 lakh doses of Chinese vaccine to arrive May 12
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming yesterday officially announced that 5 lakh doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will reach Bangladesh on May 12.
"It's the latest outcome of China-Bangladesh anti-pandemic cooperation," he said during an interaction with the members of Diplomatic Correspondents' Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) virtually.
"China is dedicated to international vaccine cooperation," said the ambassador.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally.
It is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).
At the event, the envoy said, "This is a new vote of confidence in China's vaccines cast by the world. The Bangladesh government also gave emergency use authorisation to the vaccine a week prior to the WHO clearance, which I believe is a far-sighted decision."
"It shows the faith put in China by Bangladesh, and it will surely mean a lot to our future cooperation," he said.
According to clinical statistics provided by Sinopharm and the evaluation of the WHO, the efficacy rate of the vaccine is estimated to reach 79 percent, all age groups included.
Ambassador Li said the vaccine is recommended for adults aged 18 and older, and WHO did not indicate any upper age limit for use as data suggests that the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in elderly persons.
"It is also the first vaccine carrying a vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that changes colour with the exposure to heat, thus warning health professionals if the doses go bad," he said.
At yesterday's event, DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke.
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