106,000 Pfizer jabs to arrive tonight

The first consignment of 106,000 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 will arrive Monday night under the global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX.

However, the vaccine jabs were set to arrive on Sunday, said Md Shamsul Haque, a line director at the Directorate General of Health Services.

The doses will be stored in the government vaccine storage centres in minus 60-80 degrees Celsius in the capital.

On May 27, the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) approved the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine in the country. The vaccine produced by Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium NV is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine approved so far.

The other three are: Covishield produced by Serum Institute of India; Sputnik V manufactured by Generium Joint Stock Company of Russia; and Sinopharm produced by Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd of China.