The Philippines has approved the emergency use of Russia's Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine, the country's vaccine procurement chief said on Monday, making it among the first countries in Asia to approve the single-dose vaccine.

Those waiting for long for the second dose of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine have been asked to contact the nearest vaccination centres as early as possible for getting the shot.

Deviating from previous stance, Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said mass Covid-19 vaccination campaigns will not be held in the country any more.

People who have registered for Covid-19 vaccination will have to wait to be administered doses as the demand for inoculation is greater than the supply of vaccine.

Health directorate has instructed all its officials concerned to increase the number of booths in Covid-19 vaccination centres across the country so that everyone gets the jabs as early as possible.

Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director-general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), announced today that they will probe if any DGHS employees were involved in the illegal sale of Covid-19 vaccines.

Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Naoki Ito said they have planned to deliver 634,920 more AstraZeneca doses on August 28.

Bangladesh received around 7.81 lakh doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from Japan, under the COVAX facility, this afternoon.

India tonight got the world’s first DNA-based Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by indigenous pharma company Zydus Cadila as the needle-free jab received emergency use authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

At least 781,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will reach Dhaka tomorrow.

Students aged 18 and above can register for Covid-19 vaccination through the Surokkha app, said health department officials today.

The recent incident of Covid-19 vaccines found in the black market raised questions about the grip the government has over its inoculation campaign.

Thailand is studying the possibility of injecting coronavirus vaccines under the skin to try to stretch its limited supply, a health official said on Thursday, as the country races to inoculate the public faster amid a worsening epidemic.

The government is planning to vaccinate 5 million workers in the country’s readymade garment sector within a month and a half, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi during a meeting with Walmart Vice President Paul Dyck at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC yesterday.

The effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 declines faster than that of the AstraZeneca jab, according to a new study published on Thursday.

Current data does not indicate that COVID-19 booster shots are needed, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday.

US health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia took take her second dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Institute and Hospital this afternoon.

In a major stride towards producing Covid-19 vaccine in the country, the government has struck a trilateral agreement for bottling, labelling and dispensing China’s Sinopharm vaccine.

After weeks of lockdown, the government is allowing return of normalcy for the benefit of general people. The step comes based on a feeling of hope.