India’s gift of 20 lakh Covid-19 vaccines likely to reach in a day or two: health minister

The twenty lakh doses of Covishield vaccine, being gifted by India, may reach the country tomorrow or on the next day [Thursday], health minister Zahid Maleque said today.

"We expect [the vaccine] will come as per schedule. There is a schedule for tomorrow, or it will arrive day after tomorrow," the health minister said while talking to journalists following a meeting with the health directorate officials at its headquarter in Dhaka.

"I will personally receive the vaccines at the [Dhaka] airport," he said.

These vaccines will be stored in the storages of Central Medicine Store Depot, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and in the cold storage of Tejgaon Health Complex in Dhaka, Prof ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of the health directorate, said at the same briefing.

Prof Khurshid said they will start vaccination in all districts after receiving the first consignment of three crore shots of Covishield, scheduled for January 25 or 26.