UNB, Dhaka
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has approved Chinese Covid-19 vaccine ‘CoronaVac’, manufactured by Sinovac Life Science Co Ltd, for emergency use in Bangladesh.
The DGDA has given the approval following an application submitted by M/S Incepta Vaccine Limited on June 3, said a DGDA handout on Sunday.
M/s Incepta Vaccine Limited is the local agent of the vaccine.
The Chinese vaccine earlier got approval from the World Health Organization (WHO). It is applicable for people aged above 18.
National Medicinal Products Administration (NMPA) of China approved the vaccine on February 9 and it was later approved for emergency use in 22 more countries, said the media release.
It is 5th vaccine that got approval for emergency use in Bangladesh.
Health authorities will administer two doses of the vaccine to a person, and its second dose can be administered within two to four weeks after getting the first dose.
Earlier, five lakh China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine doses, donated by the Chinese government to Bangladesh, arrived in Dhaka on May 12.
Amid the growing concern over the spread of Delta variant, 38 more people died of Covid-19 in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours until Sunday morning, putting the death toll at 12,839.
Besides, 1,676 more people found positive for the virus after testing 15,613 samples during the period, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The new infections pushed up the total caseload to 8,10, 990, while the positivity rate fell to 10.73% today from Saturday’s 11.03% and the mortality rate remained static at 1.58%, said the DGHS.
As of now, 7,51, 322 people have recovered from the virus putting the recovery rate at 92.64%.
Of the deceased, 25 were male and 13 were female today.
Bangladesh reported its first Covid cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
