US will give Bangladesh COVID vaccine 'soon': minister

The United States government has agreed to supply coronavirus vaccines from its own stocks to help crisis-stricken Bangladesh, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

However, the minister did not get into specifics about the size of the allotment or when it would arrive.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Momen said, "They (US) are now saying they'll provide the vaccine to Bangladesh. I don't know the exact amount yet.”

Bangladesh started its mass vaccination campaign last February using COVISHIELD, the vaccine developed by the UK's University of Oxford and Anglo-Swedish company AstraZeneca. But the vaccine's manufacturer Serum Institute of India only sent two shipments due to an export ban by the Indian government.

It prompted the government to halt the first dosing of the vaccine while many who received the first shot were not given the second one.

The government subsequently started scrambling for the Chinese and Russian vaccines. However, there is no alternative for those who have already taken the first dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine.

Momen highlighted the success of the diplomatic efforts in securing more vaccine doses.

But the government's success in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis has come with certain unwanted consequences, according to the minister.

"They (international community) haven't paid attention to us as the fatalities here have been relatively few. It was very difficult to catch their attention."

Although he did not mention a specific date, Momen said he hoped to get the vaccine "very soon".

"Unlike other countries, we will need more than 20,000 doses. Around 100,000 would suffice. We have 165 million people in the country so we need a lot of vaccines.

“Even if we administer shots to 130 million doses, we will still need 260 million doses. It's a huge market."

Meanwhile, a consignment of medical equipment from the US to tackle COVID-19 will arrive on Monday, the foreign minister said.