Bangladesh Faces Vaccine Shortage Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases Linked to Omicron Sub-Variants

Dhaka: Bangladesh is currently grappling with a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines just as new sub-variants of the Omicron strain begin to spread rapidly across the country. Health authorities have warned that the available vaccine supply is insufficient and consists only of older versions, with around 3.2 million doses remaining. These doses are expected to expire within the next few months, and no updated vaccines targeting the new sub-variants have arrived yet.

According to local media reports, the situation has become increasingly concerning as COVID-19 cases continue to climb. Data from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in Dhaka shows that 134 people tested positive for COVID-19 out of 1,409 samples tested in May. This marks an infection rate of 9.51 per cent—the highest recorded in Bangladesh between January and May 2023.

Halimur Rashid, Line Director of the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), acknowledged the shortage and added that efforts to procure new vaccines are ongoing. He mentioned that a special vaccine committee would soon be formed to make urgent decisions regarding procurement and distribution strategies.

Despite the surge in infections, health officials also report a worrying lack of public interest in receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. “There are various rumours about vaccines that have no scientific basis,” Rashid noted, emphasising the challenge of combating misinformation and encouraging public participation in the vaccination drive.

As of Thursday morning, 28 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,051,932. Earlier this month, on June 5, Bangladesh recorded its first COVID-19-related death of the year—a man from Dhaka—raising the total death toll to over 29,500 since the pandemic began.

Medical experts are urging the government and health authorities to take swift and proactive steps to prepare for the potential spread of the new Omicron sub-variants. They stress that early intervention can significantly reduce both infection rates and fatalities.