Bangladesh will start giving coronavirus vaccinations to some of the 850,000 Rohingya refugees who fled across the border from Myanmar, AFP quoted the government officials as saying.

With infections rising across the country, refugee commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat said about 48,000 Rohingya aged over 55 would start receiving jabs from next month with help from the World Health Organisation.

“We are targeting 55-year-olds due to vaccine shortages,” Hayat told AFP.

More than 2,100 Rohingyas have tested positive for the virus and at least 24 have died from Covid-19. The refugees welcomed the vaccinations but said they should cover more people.