Bangladesh has signed a deal with China to buy the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, said the country's Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday without disclosing the price or quantity of doses. According to the Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka is paying USD 15 per dose for the Sinopharm vaccine, which is USD 5 higher than what Bangladesh paid. Bangladesh had started its inoculation drive against coronavirus with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine procured from India at USD 5 per dose. As things stand, the Chinese vaccine is set to cost Bangladesh double the AstraZeneca shot from the Serum Institute of India. Similarly, Sri Lanka is reported to have purchased one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine for USD 5.50, which is almost one-third the price being offered by Beijing.

Source: Mint June 13, 2021 04:18 UTC