Beximco Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Nazmul Hassan Papon has said it was not acceptable that India's Serum Institute had failed to deliver due vaccine doses even after taking advance payment for it.
“The government must talk with Serum for the due doses as it only received 7 million doses after paying for 15 million doses,” he told the media after receiving the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Kurmitola General Hospital on Saturday.
“It is not acceptable that Serum will not give the vaccines after taking advance payment,” he added.
Bangladesh has received 10.2 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, including about 3.2 million doses as gifts in two phases from India.
The vaccination drive began on February 7. According to the health authorities, 7.75 million doses have been used as of April 22, which only 2.45 million vials are left.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India to purchase 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca in November. According to that deal, Beximco Pharmaceuticals is responsible for procuring the doses.
The deal stated that five million doses of the vaccine would be sent every month for six months.
