DHAKA, Sept 4, 2021 (BSS) - Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today said over 80 percent teachers, students and employees of medical education received COVID-19 vaccines and the rests will be vaccinated very soon.

"All teachers, students and employees of medical education will be brought under COVID-19 vaccination coverage," he made the comments while visiting Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Comprehensive Licensing Examination-2021 at a government school in the city, an official release said.   

Secretary of Health Education Division Ali Nur, among others, was present on the occasion, it added.  

The health minister said the government has decided to purchase 16.5 crore more COVID-19 vaccines from China and WHO facilities to expedite the countrywide vaccination campaign. These vaccines are expected to arrive in Bangladesh by January next year, he added.   
 
"Bangladesh will get 2 crore doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China each month...meaning six crore jabs of Sinopharm will arrive in the country within three months,"  Maleque added.    

The health ministry sources said the government is planning to vaccinate 1.5 to 2 crore people by next month.

Bangladesh has so far approved eight COVID-19 vaccines to control the deadly disease.

The approved COVID-19 vaccines are from Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, CoronaVac, Pfizer, Covishield, Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm.