On arrival of vaccine shots gifted by India.

The Health Services Division of the health ministry Tuesday issued a circular saying that the Indian government would provide 20 lakh doses of Oxford-Astrazenca Covid- 19 vaccines (Covishield) to Bangladesh.

Moreover, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said that India will supply the shots of Covid-19 vaccine as gifts.

A special flight of India carrying the consignment is likely to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka today.

The step taken by the Indian government came at a time when there was a confusion among many about the timely shipment of the vaccine to Bangladesh which it has already bought from India.

It may be recalled here that Bangladesh has already made an advance payment of Tk 509 crore for three crore doses of the Oxford-Astrazenca vaccine from Serum Institute India (SII).

But none could say for sure when the vaccines would arrive here.

If the coronavirus, meanwhile, regularly mutates -- like the influenza virus -- we may need regular vaccination.

In this case, as experts opine, we should think of sustainable sources.

Six Covid-19 vaccines are already on the market while another 14 are in the pipeline.

Moreover, several of these vaccines will be safer, effective and viable for countries like Bangladesh in the coming days.

The vaccine doses are arriving at a time when the Directorate General of Health Services in its update every day informs the nation of a significant number of death because of the coronavirus, though the incidence took a dive of late.

Even the government, the Prime Minister in particular, has so far warned on several occasions of the second wave, asking all to strictly comply with the health guidelines, especially wearing facemasks in public.

Regrettably, however, a large section of people still look anything but aware of the impending danger.

People are becoming oblivious of the fact that coronavirus still prevails in this country.

Most of them even move around with bare faces, thereby putting themselves and others at risk of the virus infection.

It may be pertinent to mention here that many other...