Bangladesh PM Hasina gets first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday received her first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccine, nearly a month after the country launched the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with the jab, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

Hasina, 73, received her first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at her official residence, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka, said a spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office.

An official photograph released after she was inoculated showed a military nurse administering the vaccine on her left arm while her younger sister Sheikh Rehana stood beside the premier. Rehana received the shot a few days ago.

Hasina earlier said she would receive the vaccine once the vaccination process was rolled out across the country.

The vaccination drive began in Bangladesh with a nurse given the first shot at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka on January 27. The prime minister had inaugurated the programme.

The government launched the mass vaccination campaign on February 7 after a dry run. More than 518,000 people have taken their first doses of the vaccine.