Dhaka, June 20 : Bangladesh is facing a vaccine crisis to fight against the newly detected sub-variants of the Omicron strain of COVID-19. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the country stressed that only 3.2 million doses of older vaccines are available, which are due to expire in a few months, local media reported.

According to a report by Bangladeshi media outlet UNB, COVID-19 infection rates have surged nationwide over the past month. According to the data from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in Dhaka, 134 cases tested positive out of 1,409 samples in May, a sharp rise in the infection rate at 9.51 per cent, the highest recorded in Bangladesh from January to May 2023.

'In total, there are around 3.2 million doses of vaccines. No new vaccines for the sub-variants have arrived so far. However, the process of procurement is ongoing. A vaccine committee will be formed soon to make a prompt decision,' said Halimur Rashid, Line Director of the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit at the DGHS.

Meanwhile, amid the rise in Covid cases reportedly there is a lack of interest among the public to get vaccinated. 'There are various rumours about vaccines that have no scientific basis,' said Rashid.

According to the DGHS, a total of 28 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Bangladesh till Thursday morning, as the total number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 20,51,932.

The country on June 5 recorded its first COVID-19 fatality this year when a man died from the infectious disease in the capital, Dhaka. The DGHS data revealed that over 29,500 people have died of the COVID-19 virus in Bangladesh so far since the epidemic began.

Experts emphasised the need for early preparedness in tackling the spread of new sub-variants, adding that proactive action can lower the infection and mortality rates.

/IANS