COVID-19: Bangladesh kicks off countrywide vaccination drive

Banglesh on Sunday launched its nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive with lawmakers along with top ministration and health officials taking first shots of vaccine.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque, who inaugurated campaign at a virtual event at Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) here, urged people not to spre propaganda against vaccine, saying it is safe and has no side effects, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Lawmakers and top ministration and health officials took first shots of vaccine, report said.

However, re have been tepid responses from vaccine seekers in country, it said.

Banglesh on January 21 received as gift from India two million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India.

first consignment of 50 lakh doses of Covishield purchased by government landed in Dhaka on January 25.

Banglesh has so far purchased 30 million doses from Serum Institute of India through private Beximco pharmaceuticals under a tripartite agreement Health Minister Maleque said that government is continuing its fight against coronavirus and condition of Banglesh is now better than many or countries.

" vaccine campaign will continue throughout year. re is anor process to get jab or than online registration. People will be able to take shots immediately after registering mselves at vaccine centres," said Health Minister Maleque, who took jab at Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital.

Agriculture Minister Muhamm Abdur Razzaque; Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim; Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin; Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman; State Minister for Public ministration Farh Hossain among ors were also vaccinated, report said.

health authorities have decided to minister second doses of vaccine four weeks after first jab, inste of eight weeks.

DGHS Director General Khurshid Alam on Saturday said a total of 2,400 vaccination teams would be deployed across country - 204 teams at 50 vaccine centres in Dhaka and 2,196 teams at 995 centres outside Dhaka.

According to DGHS, 10 vaccination teams (eight on duty and two in reserve) will be deployed at hospitals of each district, while three teams (two on duty and one in reserve) will be deployed at or centres. Each team should be able to vaccinate 100-150 people per day.

Initially, officials h planned to deploy 6,725 vaccination teams, with 619 teams in reserve. While original deployment would have been able to vaccinate 670,000-1,000,000 people per day, reduced number of teams should be able to inoculate about 360,000 people per day, report said.

Meanwhile, government has cancelled leave of health workers until February 10 due to nationwide vaccination drive.

India is one of world's biggest drugmakers and an increasing number of countries have alrey approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.

In last few weeks, India has sent consignments of domestically produced coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Banglesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

It is also undertaking commercial supplies of doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.

Banglesh has so far registered 538,062 COVID-19 cases and 8,205 fatalities. More than 483,000 people have recovered from contagion. 

Image credit: PTI