Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Aug-03,

 Bangladesh has so far received 1,643,300 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan with the arrival of the third consignment of 616,780 doses under the COVAX facility.

“Japan will provide 3 million (doses of AstraZeneca) in total to Bangladesh and so far dispatched 1,643,300 doses,” said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito after handing over the third consignment to Bangladesh.

The Ambassador said he is pleased that with the gift from the Japanese people, AstraZeneca’s second dose administering resumed on Monday.

The Japanese government is providing the vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility to meet the urgent needs of the Bangladeshi people who have been long waiting for the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The first consignment of 245,200 doses and the second consignment of 781,320 doses arrived on July 24 and July 31 respectively, totaling 1,643,300 doses so far.

Syed Mojibul Huq, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and other high-level officials from the Government of Bangladesh, and Ambassador Ito joined the handing over ceremony held at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The vaccine support is expected to contribute to the Bangladesh government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save people’s lives in Bangladesh, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.

Japan hopes that fair, equitable, and comprehensive access to vaccines will be ensured in Bangladesh and reiterates that it will stand by Bangladesh in the fight against COVID-19 and will work together to contain COVID-19 as soon as possible.

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