DHAKA,  – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today said the government will take decision on application of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine in the country through discussing with the national technical advisory committee.

“We are closely observing the efficacy of global vaccine development of COVID-19…we are communicating with those countries, which are in the final stage of coronavirus vaccine development,” he told a media briefing at his ministry here, an official release said.

The minister said a powerful taskforce committee has been formed to examine any irregularities of both public, private hospitals and clinics aiming to bring a discipline in the health sector for providing smooth healthcare services to the people.

On July 19, Bangladesh’s regulatory Medical Research Council (BMRC) extended “ethical approval” for final or phase-3 human trial of a prospective COVID-19 vaccine by China’s private Sinovac Biotech Ltd, which appeared to be a forerunner in a global race for developing inoculates against coronavirus.

The health ministry sources said many countries including China and the UK are in the final stage for vaccine development as they are performing phase-3 human trial of COVID-19 vaccine development.

If these countries are able to develop coronavirus vaccines, Bangladesh will get inoculations on priority basis, they said, adding those countries with per capita income below 4000 US dollar will get vaccines for free. As per capita income of Bangladesh is below 2,000 US dollar, the country will get vaccine for free.