US Covid-19 vaccine donations to Bangladesh surpass 100 million mark

Covid-19 vaccine donations by the United States to Bangladesh has surpassed the 100 million (ten crore) mark, with the delivery of another six million paediatric doses of Pfizer jabs earlier this week.

US Ambassador to Dhaka Peter Haas on Wednesday joined Narayanganj City Mayor Dr Selina Hayat Ivy and students of the Narayanganj Collectorate Preparatory School to mark the delivery of over 100 million US Covid vaccine donations to Bangladesh.    
American Covid-19 vaccine donations now account for more than 70 % of all international Covid-19 vaccine donations to Bangladesh, reads a press release of US embassy of Dhaka. 

"This milestone underscores the strong partnership between our two countries and is just one part of the incredible progress Bangladesh has made in fully vaccinating nearly 75% of the entire country.  This is a remarkable achievement and I congratulate everyone involved in protecting Bangladeshi children and adults against the pandemic," said Ambassador Haas.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, US support has trained more than 50,000 healthcare providers and other workers on safely administering vaccines across 64 districts, donated 18 freezer vans, 750 freezer units, and 8,000 vaccine carriers to help transport 71 million doses of vaccines to remote areas, and directly administered 84 million vaccinations.

The United States, the largest Covid-19 vaccine donor to Bangladesh, has also contributed more than $140 million in Covid-19 related development and humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh.  

Globally, the United States has donated $4 billion to support the COVAX effort, which includes support for ultra-cold chain storage, transportation, and safe handling of Covid-19 vaccines, making the United States the world's largest donor for equitable global Covid-19 vaccine access.