Bangladesh to begin COVID-19 vaccinations on Jan. 27

Bangladesh will begin its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Jan. 27, a senior health official said on Saturday.

A nurse will be the first person to get the jab after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the vaccine rollout virtually at a hospital in the capital Dhaka, Health Ministry Secretary Abdul Mannan told reporters.

A nationwide inoculation drive will start on Feb. 8, according to the official.

The announcement comes days after Bangladesh received 2 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a gift from India.

Five million more purchased by Dhaka will arrive early next week.