Covid-19: Denmark flies to the aid of Bhutan to inject the second dose of vaccine
Queue outside a store during lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus in Thimphu, Bhutan, August 20, 2020. AFP - UPASANA DAHAL
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The Danish government has announced that it will donate 250,000 doses of vaccine to Bhutan.
A relief for this small Himalayan kingdom after having administered to its population a first dose of vaccine from India and which lacked new doses.
New Delhi was forced to stop its exports to cover its own needs.
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Bhutan was in a race against time, it can now breathe.
After weeks of anguish, while waiting for a vaccine delivery to be able to administer the second injection to its population in time, it was Denmark which responded.
Copenhagen will provide around 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to meet the needs of half of the Bhutanese population.
Twelve weeks between the administration of the two injections have elapsed and experts have recommended increasing the period to 16 weeks.
In other words until mid-July, at the latest.
The Danish donation will not be enough, but several countries, including France, are said to be in talks for a delivery of new bottles as part of the European Union's commitment to partially compensate for India's failure.
A cry for help has been issued by Thimphu to 18 states and the Bhutanese government has even declared itself open to all options including inoculating another vaccine.
Bhutan had achieved the feat of administering in record time a first dose of vaccine to 94% of its adult population.
A lightning-fast campaign that would not have been possible without its Indian neighbor.
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