The unequal access to vaccines for Covid-19, makes it difficult for countries such as Bangladesh to vaccinate its population at the same pace as the wealthier countries. However, without inoculating all eligible people, the world cannot recover from the pandemic fully. Therefore, it is critical to rapidly scale up vaccine manufacturing and distribution. The Bangladeshi government aims to vaccinate 80 per cent of the population by 2022 through an accelerated inoculation campaign. Achieving this target will depend on the availability of vaccines on time.
For countries like Bangladesh, two issues have to be pursued simultaneously. The country must ramp up its vaccine procurement, and rapidly roll out the doses throughout the country. This will require better delivery capacity and an efficient distribution system. The concern over vaccine inequality is not only a global issue, but a national one. Faster and equitable vaccination will be key to better recovery from the massive fallout of the pandemic.
Author: Dr Fahmida Khatun