Moderna vaccines ‘gift from Americans’ for Bangladesh: US ambassador

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has said that the 2.5 million doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine that arrived in Dhaka last night and this morning are gift from the American people and its only objective is to save lives.

"This is a gift, at no cost, from the American people.  We share these vaccines with the singular objective of saving lives. Because it is the right thing to do. It is what Americans do in times of need," Earl Miller said during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque after receiving the first consignment of the doses at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

"When we have the capacity and we have the will, we step up and we deliver," he added.

Miller said the vaccines that arrived yesterday and today are only the beginning. 

"The United States understands the urgency of getting as many safe and effective vaccines to Bangladesh as quickly as possible. And we understand to save lives around the world, stop the threat of new variants, and rebuild the global economy we must work together to quickly vaccinate as many people as possible everywhere," he said.

He said the United States is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts as it has at home.  

"We will use the power of our democracy, the ingenuity of American scientists, the strength of American manufacturing, and, most importantly, the resilience, commitment and generosity of spirit of the American people to help the world beat this pandemic," Miller said.

The United States was the arsenal of democracy in the global crisis of World War Two, he said adding, "We are going to be an arsenal of vaccines in our shared fight to end the global crisis of Covid-19."

The United States is the largest donor of assistance to Bangladesh's Covid-19 response, Miller said. The United States has been Bangladesh's closest partner for the past five decades working to improve public health, he added. 

"Today, at this uniquely challenging moment in history, our partnership is more important than ever.

"We do so for the people of Bangladesh, the people of America, for all people on this precious vulnerable world we are privileged and responsible to share and protect," the ambassador said.