With the prospect of a new vaccine for Covid-19 on the horizon, an international public health expert said that Bangladesh must come up with a vaccination plan immediately.
The whole world is waiting for the vaccine of coronavirus, and health experts opine that it is the best idea to make preparations ahead of time.
The government must establish active collaboration with the international stakeholders and focus on equitable distribution of vaccines at affordable prices.
Currently, the world is awaiting the phase 1 clinical trial data of the vaccine being developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University.
The government must work with other countries
and pharmaceutical giants to ensure vaccine
availability for all Bangladeshis
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is aiming to produce 2 billion doses of a coronavirus vaccine, including 400 million for the US and UK, and 1 billion for those in low-and middle-income countries.
Therefore, the government must devise a strategic plan immediately for distribution of the vaccine. There are already local, regional and global initiatives to secure vaccine availability, including the important Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility.
The government must work with other countries and pharmaceutical giants to ensure vaccine availability for all Bangladeshis. The plan must work out who will access the vaccine first while healthcare workers should be given priority. High-risk patients should also be prioritized in the government’s plan.
Those without the financial means to access the vaccine must be accounted for in the government’s plan. Meanwhile, the government must assign separate governing bodies to oversee vaccination programmes and ensure absolute transparency.
