It is good to see that the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine -- about 100,000 of them -- have safely reached Dhaka, received under the Covax facility run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Bangladesh has, for a while now, halted the registration process for receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine after facing a shortage of vaccines as a result of India failing to provide the necessary doses due to the catastrophic turn of events within its borders.
However, procuring vaccines from just one source was never a wise idea, as this newspaper editorialized numerous times. Yet, credit is due to the authorities concerned and any other stakeholders for recognizing the urgency of the matter, and prioritizing the procurement of vaccines through alternative channels.
But while it is encouraging that we are starting to receive shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, in addition to the Sinopharm vaccine, it is only the first step. Registration remains halted, and having vaccines in stock is useful. Certainly, this is not the time to be stockpiling.
Indeed, while the Indian variant has not caused great devastation in Bangladesh yet, there is no denying that, during the times of this pandemic, changes can occur at unprecedented pace, turning the situation unmanageable in no time.
Therefore, it is imperative that the authorities concerned find a way to restart the vaccine registration process and begin vaccinating people again. As has been stated time and time again, vaccination remains the number one option against the long-term battle against Covid-19 and it is the only way out of this pandemic.