Bangladesh remains the top recipient of Covid-19 vaccine doses under COVAX in one year as UNICEF delivered over 190 million doses of vaccines to Bangladesh.
The vaccines came through COVAX, the global initiative co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization with UNICEF as a key delivery partner.
COVAX accounts for more than 62 per cent of doses received by the country, according to UNICEF Bangladesh on Tuesday.
COVID-19 vaccinations started in Bangladesh in February 2021. UNICEF delivered the first COVAX shipment of vaccines to Bangladesh on June 1, 2021 at a time when only 4.0 per cent of the population in the country were fully vaccinated.
With two doses Bangladesh has fully vaccinated 69 per cent of its population– a staggering 117 million people, said UNICEF. A COVID-19 booster dose campaign is planned for June.
Bangladesh with 69 per cent fully vaccinated population is close to achieve the global benchmark of 70 per cent fully vaccinated population by June 2022.