Chinese citizens get Sinopharm vaccine at DMCH

Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) has started administering the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to more than 450 Chinese citizens.

210 Chinese citizens were vaccinated on Saturday. The rest of them are expected to receive the vaccine on Sunday, DMCH officials said. 

Brig Gen Nazmul Haque, director of DMCH told The Business Standard, "The Sinopharm vaccine, a gift from China, is to be administered to medical students as well as Chinese nationals."

According to a letter from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 456 Chinese nationals are supposed to be vaccinated at DMCH in two days.

250 Chinese citizens were supposed to be vaccinated at the hospital on Saturday. However, 210 Chinese have come to receive the vaccine on the day and the rest are expected to come on Sunday, according to the DMCH director.

China has gifted five lakh doses of its Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh earlier this month. The doses will be able to completely vaccinate 2.5 lakh people.

On 25 May, about 500 students from four medical colleges were administered the vaccine on an experimental basis. After observing the effects of the vaccine, the government will decide on whether to administer it to students of other medical colleges.

Brig Haque said, "Our students have been vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine. Chinese citizens are now receiving the same vaccine. With this, people's confidence in the Sinopharm vaccine will increase."