Bangladesh has started the second phase of its inoculation drive against the Covid-19, amid a daily record surge in cases. 

Inoculation with Sino-pharm Covid-19 vaccine, developed by China National Pharmaceutical Groups, began at vaccination centres across the country including in Dhaka this morning.

According to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), people who have already registered online will get the vaccine. The vaccine recipients will be informed through SMS while some will get the vaccines on the priority basis.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine will be administered later.

Speaking at a programme on Monday, health and family welfare minister Zahid Maleque said in this phase, five lakh Sinopharm vaccines will be administered as the first dose and the rest of the total 11 lakh will be kept reserved for second dose.

The DGHS sources also said the Sinopharm vaccines are being administered at all government medical college hospitals, general hospitals, district headquarters hospitals and 250-bed hospitals across the country.

One vaccination center will be set up in each district, excluding Dhaka district and two booths in each center while each of the four medical college hospitals in Dhaka district will have one vaccination center and two booths in each center. Vaccination booths will be arranged as per number of vaccine recipients.

The vaccination center will remain open daily from 8 am to 3 pm except on Friday and public holidays.

The government has already received 11 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses as a gift from the Chinese government. Of those, 6 lakh shots arrived in the country from China on June 13. Earlier, on May 12, Bangladesh received a gift of 5 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses from China.

BDST: 1215 HRS, JUN 19, 2021
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