The government has done a commendable job of ensuring that the initial batch of vaccines that it had procured was being disseminated with efficiency amongst the population.
But with recent reports suggesting that our stock of the Covid-19 vaccine is set to run out in one month, the question now remains: What is the next step for Bangladesh?
The current situation, after all, is far from ideal, with each new piece of information highlighting the need for further caution.
Almost half of all Covid-19 patients between late January and mid-April had to be hospitalized -- this is an astounding number in and of itself -- but what truly reveals how potently the virus has begun to travel within our population, is the fact that 48% of those who had been hospitalized passed away within five days of hospitalization.
This is the reason we are currently in the midst of a strict lockdown, one which has become necessary with the record number of Covid cases we are witnessing on a daily basis, but we cannot remain in lockdown forever.
A long-term solution that will allow the economy to get back on track must also incorporate vaccination as part of the plan and we are hoping that, in that regard, the current administration is thinking along those lines as well.
This is of course a problem for the entire world, with nations scrambling for vaccines, but relying on simply one source for vaccine procurement will be foolish at this stage.
As experts have duly supported, we must continue to look towards alternative sources at this point to reduce the uncertainty as much as possible. A vaccinated nation will remain crucial to eliminating Covid-19 from our borders, once and for all.