Staff Reporter :
The health authorities are set to hold a mass vaccination campaign once again on Tuesday, targeting to inoculate 8 million doses of first dose covid-19 vaccines among the people across the country.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said in virtual press conference that the campaign will be held as part of a special drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday on September 28.
The health minister said that vaccines will be administered at around 60,000 centers in 4,600 union parishads and nearly 1,500 wards at municipalities and city corporations.
The inoculation will begin at 9am every working day, the minister added. He said that women above 50 years and people with disabilities will get the jabs on priority basis in first two hours everyday.
People aged above 40, those who have already registered for vaccines, reside in remote areas, marginalized people and students will also get priority in the mass inoculations.
The health minister said that Sinopharm vaccine will be inoculated during the special mass vaccination campaign.
Those above 25 and have already signed up will also be eligible for vaccinations during this mass drive.
Unregistered people can avail the walk-in vaccination facility, but have to bring their national ID card.
Individuals who have already received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine will get their second
jab after a month, in a similar drive, the health minister said.
The campaign will continue until the target of 80 lakh is achieved, said the minister.
Earlier, the government started a six-day walk-in vaccination program at the union and ward levels from August 7, for vaccinating mass population quickly.
The second doses vaccination of the mass inoculations had started on September 7.
After receiving Sinopharm doses from China and Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca doses under the Covax scheme the government had started the programme. .
Even though the walk-in inoculation, requiring only the national identity cards, received good response, the process was marred by a shortage of vaccine doses and complaints of mismanagement.
Bangladesh has inoculated a total of 24197598 doses of first shots of covid vaccines and 16033971 shots of second doses across the country.
Besides, a total of 43504389 people have registered showing NID cards and 610756 showing passports so far through online for securing their covid-19 vaccines.
