Moderna vaccine gets approval in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh has given the emergency use authorization to the US' Moderna vaccine as the country will soon be getting 2.5 million doses of the vaccine through the COVAX facility, a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Bangladesh Directorate General of Drug Administration gave the authorization in a statement late Tuesday, making Moderna the 8th vaccine to be used in the South Asian country.

Citizens aged above 18 years old can take the Moderna vaccine, the statement said.

The Moderna vaccine needs to be stored in temperatures between minus 15 to minus 25 degrees Celsius and it is about 95% effective against the coronavirus, according to the statement.

Bangladesh will soon receive a gift of 2.5 million doses of the vaccine delivered through the multi-donor COVAX initiative, the US Embassy in Dhaka recently announced.

This came as part of the US government’s commitment to donate 80 million doses of vaccines globally through COVAX, it added.

Bangladesh is currently struggling to get vaccines amid surging infections, with around 1.5 million people yet to be given the second doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as the shipment from India under an official agreement was halted.

Bangladesh, with a population of 165 million, recorded 112 deaths and 7,666 infections on Tuesday, pushing the casualties to 14,388 and cases to 904,436, according to health officials.