A fresh shipment of vaccines, including 1.5 million doses of measles rubella (MR) vaccine and 9,00,000 doses of tetanus-diphtheria (Td), has arrived in the country as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the nationwide immunization programme.

The vaccines were procured through UNICEF and Gavi and reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital around 11:45 am today. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain received the consignment at the airport.

After receiving the shipment, the minister said 1.5 million doses of measles-rubella (MR) vaccine have reached the country, expressing optimism that there will be no vaccine shortage in the coming days. He noted that the government has set a record by ensuring the delivery within 24 days.

He said the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) had been affected by some decisions of the previous government, but the present administration has given it the highest priority. 

The government has cancelled the open tender system for vaccine procurement and taken initiatives to collect vaccines directly through UNICEF, which are being implemented swiftly.

The minister said the government has already paid 83.6 million US dollars to UNICEF to procure around 95 million doses of vaccines. Earlier, more than 1.5 million doses of IPV vaccine arrived in the first shipment on May 3, while another 1.5 million doses of measles-rubella vaccine arrived today.

Sakhawat Hossain said around 18 million more doses of different vaccines are expected to arrive by May 10, and the full supply is planned to be completed by September.

He said the “Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign-2026” is currently underway to control the measles outbreak in the country. As of May 5, over 16.8 million children have been vaccinated, covering 93 percent of the target.

The minister added that there is adequate stock of typhoid (TCV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in the country, and the new supply will ensure no shortage of vaccines for the next 8 to 12 months. Vaccine quality is being maintained through a cold chain system with technical support from UNICEF.

He expressed gratitude to development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and reiterated the government’s commitment to further strengthening the immunization programme.

Among others, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs Dr SM Ziauddin Hayder, Health Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Pravath Chandra Biswas, and UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Rana Flowers were present at the airport.