Covid vaccine
Bangladesh keen to work with China for research, production of Covid vaccine: President
Emphasising strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, President Abdul Hamid said that Bangladesh is keen to work together with China in this regard and take joint initiative in research and production of Covid-19 vaccine.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe at Bangabhaban on Tuesday.
China is also keen to extend comprehensive cooperation to Bangladesh in the fight against the virus, said the Chinese minister, Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB after the meeting.
Welcoming the Chinese Defense Minister, the President said China is one of the most important development partners of Bangladesh. China's relationship with Bangladesh is gradually expanding in various fields, including trade and investment. Chinese investment in various sectors, including infrastructure and communication, is playing an important role in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
The President thanked his Chinese counterpart on behalf of himself and the people of Bangladesh for providing the video message on the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence.
President Hamid said China has very good relations with Myanmar. By exploiting this relationship, China can play an important role in repatriating the forcibly displaced Rohingyas. He hoped that China would take effective steps in this regard.
Referring to the defense relations between Bangladesh and China, the President hoped that these relations would be further strengthened in the days to come.
The President congratulated the President and people of China on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
The Chinese Defense Minister said that military cooperation between China and Bangladesh is gradually increasing. China will continue its strategic cooperation in the development of Bangladesh's armed forces.
Besides, China is also working to solve the Rohingya problem, the visiting minister said.
Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Waqar-Uz-Zaman, Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin and Secretary (attached) Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.
Will soon come out of uncertainty over vaccine availability: Minister
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday said the uncertainty over receiving coronavirus vaccine jabs from the Serum Institute of India is likely to be over soon.
“We placed an order for three crore doses of vaccine (from Serum Institute) and paid money. But it’s a matter of regret that we’re not getting the vaccine in due time, disrupting our vaccination activities. The local agent, Beximco, and we’re trying our best to have it,” he said.
The minister said, “Our government is also trying to bring the vaccine jabs and the PMO and the Foreign Ministry have been working on it. Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly requested the Indian Prime Minister to ensure the vaccine supply. So, we hope we may get the vaccine quickly, but we couldn’t know the exact time. We’ll be able to know about it within a few days.”
Also read: Bangladesh to suspend administering Covid vaccine 1st dose from Monday
He made the remarks while talking to reporters on the premises of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS).
Bangladesh to get 21 lakh Covid vaccine doses by early May: DGHS
Bangladesh will get 21 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine by the first week of May, said DG of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam on Sunday.
“Most of these vaccine doses will be imported by Beximco Pharmaceuticals,” he told reporters following an online discussion meeting marking World Malaria Day.
Among the doses, one lakh are of COVAX while Serum Institute of India will supply the rest, Khurshid Alam said.
Also read: How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?
“We’ll continue administering the first doses of the vaccine alongside completing the second doses,” the DG said, adding, “We’ll also get vaccine/s from China as a gift. The Covid-19 National Technical Advisory Committee will take the decision on how those will be administered.”
He also told the journalists that three of the local pharmaceutical companies have the capacity to produce Covid-19 vaccines.
As the deadly variant of the virus is being spread rapidly across India, a proposal has been sent to the authorities concerned to stop all the communications with the neighbouring country, except the transportation of emergency goods, he said.
Read Around 6,000 Americans contracted Covid after being fully vaccinated, 74 died: CDC
Covid vaccine: Dhaka agrees on Beijing’s proposal to set up emergency storage facility
Bangladesh, in principle, has agreed on a Chinese proposal to set up an "Emergency COVID-19 Vaccine Storage Facility" to ensure quick supply of vaccines among the South Asian countries during emergency.
Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which are not producing Covid vaccines, have also received a similar proposal from China and agreed on it.
“We said we don’t have any objection. We, in principle, like it (the proposal). Any country might have an emergency need,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Thursday.
Also read: Nothing to worry about vaccine stock: FM
Bangladesh received the proposal on April 15 and a minister-level meeting will be held on April 27, he said.
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh sought further details on the proposal, noting that there was a meeting at the secretary level in this regard.
Dr Momen said a minister-level meeting will be held on April 27 to discuss the proposal in detail.
Also read: Will do our best to support vaccine rollout in neighbouring countries: India
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Thursday said China has taken note of the “recent grave situation” in India with a temporary shortage of anti-epidemic medical supplies.
“We stand ready to provide India with necessary support and assistance to get the epidemic under control,” he said.
Dr Momen said China will give 6 lakh doses of vaccine as a gift and hoped that Bangladesh will get a vaccine through commercial purchase soon.
Also read: Covid vaccines should be declared as global public goods: PM Hasina
Bangladesh has received 7 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift.
This is the largest amount sent from India to any country.
Covid vaccine: UNICEF emphasises speed, simplicity to remove barriers
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore has said they need speed and simplicity to remove barriers to the acquisition, manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear to us all that no one is safe until everyone is safe. But equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines is within our grasp," She said in a statement on Tuesday.
She said they have proven that the world can rally to do the unthinkable, and we need to do it again. "The sooner we do, the sooner our lives, and the lives of our children, will go back to normal.”
In a little over a year, the world’s scientists, businesses, governments, philanthropists and multilateral institutions rallied and did the unthinkable, Fore said.
They created vaccines to fight a virus that had brought the world to a standstill. And they tested, transported and began to administer those vaccines safely and in record time. "This is nothing short of astounding," she said.
“But the fight is not yet over,” Fore said. “Variants are emerging all over the world, and with each, the risk of a massive global setback."
Also read: Vaccine passports are latest flash point in COVID politics
At the current rate, there is simply not enough vaccine supply to meet demand. And the supply available is concentrated in the hands of too few.
Some countries have contracted enough doses to vaccinate their populations several times, while other countries have yet to receive even their first dose.
"This threatens us all. The virus and its mutations will win," Fore said.
In order to get ahead of the virus, and to shift gears, she said, they must build on a strategy of vaccinating frontline workers but drive towards a strategy that truly enables equitable access for all.
The governments, businesses and partners were urged to take three urgent actions:
First, simplify Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through voluntary and proactive licensing by IPR holders.
Also read: UNICEF launches COVID-19 vaccine market dashboard to ensure fair access
But this alone won’t increase production. Unlike drug manufacture, vaccine production involves a complex manufacturing process with multiple components and steps.
IPR holders would need to provide technology partnerships to accompany IP licenses, proactively share know-how and sub-contract to manufacturers without undue geographic or volume restrictions.
This challenge requires not forced IP waivers but proactive partnership and cooperation. Recent manufacturing partnerships such as Pfizer-BioNtech; AZ-SII, J&J- Merck and J&J-Aspen are encouraging examples.
UNICEF urged others to follow suit, to increase the scale and geographic diversity of manufacturing capacity.
“While markets alone can’t guarantee innovation benefits all, voluntary licensing, pooled funds and multilateral mechanisms such as COVAX are an effective and realistic way for product developers and manufacturers to collaborate, innovate, and encourage equitable access," Fore said.
“Second, we need to end vaccine nationalism. Governments should remove direct and indirect export- and import-control measures that block, restrict or slow down exports of COVID-19 vaccines, ingredients and supplies. Viruses respect no borders. Defeating COVID-19 in each of our home countries also means defeating it around the world by ensuring a steady flow of vaccines and supplies to all."
Also read: UNICEF working with over 350 partners to deliver COVID-19 vaccines
Finally, Fore said, governments that have contracted to receive more ‘future doses’ than required to vaccinate their entire adult populations this year, should immediately loan, release or donate most or all excess contracted doses for 2021 to COVAX, so they can be allocated equitably among other countries.
“In addition, countries with a sufficient, current supply of manufactured doses should consider donating at least 5% of their available manufactured doses right away, and commit to making further contributions on a continued, rolling basis throughout the year, scaling up their contributions in line with rising supply. Confirming these dose-sharing commitments now will enhance predictability, accelerate equitable access, and help stabilise the global vaccine market."
AstraZeneca confirms strong vaccine protection after US rift
AstraZeneca insisted Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is strongly effective even after counting additional illnesses in its disputed U.S. study, the latest in an extraordinary public rift with American officials.
In a late-night press release, AstraZeneca said it had recalculated data from that study and concluded the vaccine is 76% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, instead of the 79% it had claimed earlier in the week.
Just a day earlier, an independent panel that oversees the study had accused AstraZeneca of cherry-picking data to tout the protection offered by its vaccine. The panel, in a harsh letter to the company and to U.S. health leaders, said the company had left out some COVID-19 cases that occurred in the study, a move that could erode trust in the science.
Also Read: AstraZeneca: US data shows vaccine effective for all adult
Data disputes during ongoing studies usually remain confidential but in an unusual step, the National Institutes of Health publicly called on AstraZeneca to fix the discrepancy.AstraZeneca had been counting on findings from a predominantly U.S. study of 32,000 people to help rebuild confidence in a vaccine that, despite being widely used in Britain, Europe and other countries, has had a troubled rollout. Previous studies have turned up inconsistent data about its effectiveness, and then last week a scare about blood clots had some countries temporarily pausing inoculations.
Now the question is whether the company’s newest calculations end the tension.
Also Read: US: AstraZeneca may have used outdated info in vaccine trial
Earlier Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, told reporters he hoped that when all the data was publicly vetted by federal regulators, it would dispel any hesitancy caused by the spat. He predicted it would “turn out to be a good vaccine.”
AstraZeneca’s newest calculations were based on 190 COVID-19 cases that occurred during the study, 49 more than it had included earlier in the week. The vaccine appears especially protective against the worst outcomes, with no severe illnesses or hospitalizations among vaccinated study volunteers compared to eight severe cases among those given dummy shots, the company said. It didn’t provide a breakdown of the rest of the cases.
European authorities had questioned how protective the vaccine is in older adults. In the U.S. study, it was 85% effective in volunteers 65 and older, the company said. The study didn’t turn up safety concerns.
The updated information “confirms that our COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in adults, including those aged 65 years and over,” AstraZeneca research chief Mene Pangalos said in a statement. He said the company looks forward to “the rollout of millions of doses across America.”
The study hasn’t ended so additional COVID-19 cases can accrue. AstraZeneca cautioned that 14 additional possible cases already are being examined, which could lead to further changes in the data.
The company intends to seek Food and Drug Administration clearance of the vaccine within a few weeks. The FDA will publicly debate all the evidence with its outside advisers before making a decision.
EU regulator 'convinced' AstraZeneca benefit outweighs risk
With coronavirus cases rising in many places, governments faced the grimmest of dilemmas Tuesday: push on with a vaccine that is known to save lives or suspend use of AstraZeneca over reports of dangerous blood clots in a few recipients, even as the European regulator said there was "no indication" the shot was responsible.
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