Covid-19 vaccine: Parliamentary committee seeks plan for local production

The Standing Committee on Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sought a complete plan for locally producing Covid-19 vaccines under government management, with the goal of inoculating every citizen of Bangladesh in the shortest possible timeframe.

To this end, the committee has asked the health ministry to submit a report at its next meeting, as it wants the process of domestically bottling vaccine doses to begin in the next six to nine months.

Following a standing committee meeting on Thursday, a member and former health minister, Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, told The Business Standard, "We have asked for a plan on producing Covid-19 vaccines locally as soon as possible.

"The health ministry will submit a full report on the initiative – including production costs and necessary preparations. The Gopalganj unit of Essential Drugs Company Ltd – a 100% state-owned pharmaceutical company – has been selected for producing vaccines."

At the meeting, the health ministry said they have formed two additional committees, one advisory and the other technical, to help implement the vaccine production process.

The standing committee has formed a separate committee as well, which will submit a detailed report on the process of bottling/manufacturing vaccine doses in the country, its Chairman Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim told reporters after Thursday's meeting.

"The standing committee will then discuss the report. We want the bottling and supply process to begin within the next six to nine months. We are initially planning to only bottle vaccine doses locally, but if possible and if we get a patent clearance, Bangladesh will manufacture the vaccine itself too."

On 17 August, the Standing Committee on Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recommended that Covid-19 vaccines be manufactured locally under government management within the next six months.

Similar discussions were held at a standing committee meeting last June. Minutes of that meeting revealed that Sanjan Das – a researcher at Sheffield University, USA – sent a proposal to the health secretary on building an infrastructure for producing vaccines locally.

The meeting minutes mentioned that Sanjan's vaccine manufacturing technology has already undergone research and development (R&D), and clinical trials. Bangladesh will be able to begin vaccine production by purchasing some new equipment and using the Essential Drugs Company Ltd's existing infrastructure, it said.

The technical aspect of the initiative is currently under consideration by the health ministry. Sanjan Das was also present himself at the standing committee's meeting on Thursday.

The same day, a secretariat press release said the committee has decided to table the final version of the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute Bill 2021 in parliament, along with the necessary amendments.

Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim presided over Thursday's meeting, which was attended by members AFM Ruhul Haque, Muhibur Rahman Manik, Md Mansur Rahman, Md Abdul Aziz, Syeda Jakia Nur, Rahgir Almahi Ershad, and Md Amirul Alam Milon.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque, also a member of the standing committee, was present there as well.

Daily Covid toll continues to drop

Bangladesh reported 102 more deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, with the death curve continuing to fall in the country over the past few weeks.

The latest daily toll was the lowest in 63 days. Single day deaths were previously reported to be below 100 on 26 June, going down to 77 deaths. However, the death rate rose to 1.74%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

During the 24-hour period, the positivity rate dropped to 13.77%, which is the lowest in more than two months. The DGHS also reported 4,698 new cases during the 24 hour period.

With the new figures, the number of total deaths has reached 25,729 and the case tally has climbed to 14,82,628 in the country.