Reza Mahmud :
Vaccination for about 80 percent population stressed on as attack of different variants of covid increasing in the country.
The Directorate General of Health Services said that the infection rate of covid-19 increased by 12.12 percent on Tuesday, which was 11.47 pc on Monday and was 10. 73 pc on its previous day.
The health authorities and public health experts said that Indian variant is behind the increasing trend of the deadly virus.
Besides, UK, Nigerian, South African strains also spreading the disease in the country.
In this circumstance, World Health Organisation said mass vaccination can curb the spreading of different variants of covid virus. Dr. Michael Joseph Ryan, Executive Director of Health Emergencies Programme and Spokesman of WHO on Monday said it.
Besides, businesses also have stressed on the government to ensure vaccination of at least 80 percent of the people to regain economic activities.
Leaders of Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) on Tuesday also asked the government to bring 80 pc of the population under vaccination campaign in any cost to save the economy. “Investment would not be increased till the pandemic exist in the country. So, the employment also not be created. In this situation, government must have to bring at least 80 pc of our population under inoculation,” the leaders said in a press briefing on Tuesday in the capital.
ICMAB President Abu Bakar Siddique and Vice-President Mamunur Rashid, among others, were present speeches.
Besides, Transparency International, Bangladesh in a programme on Tuesday also stressed on ensuring herd immunity in the country.
TIB also criticized the government for involving third party on procurement procedure of covid vaccine.
“Uncertainty looms over nationwide Covid-19 vaccination since the government depended on a single organisation,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman, the Executive Director of TIB said, while speaking at a virtual event on ‘Tackling Coronavirus Crisis: Good Governance Challenge in Covid-19 Vaccine Management.’
Md Julkarnayeen, a research fellow at TIB, presented findings on Covid-19 management and vaccination.
He said that unplanned activities on curbing pandemic is behind the increasing of infection.
Julkarnayeen said, 28 crore doses vaccines is needed to vaccinate about 13.8 crore people for ensuring herd immunity.
He said that the government could have saved Tk 231 crore if it collected vaccines directly from the Serum Institute of India without involving a third party.
Meanwhile, the government has taken target of inoculating 25 lakh people each month.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal disclosed it on his budget speech on June 3.
Public health experts disagreed with this plan saying it needed about four years to get herd immunity with this vaccination plan which is not logical.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation told The New Nation, “Vaccination of 25 lakhs per month is much less then the desired target. We cannot take such a long time to fight the pandemic. We must expedite how we can acquire the vaccine from outsource as well as we must go for production with technology transfer. Institute of Public Health (IPH) can be the 1st choice for our future vaccine production. We have our previous experience of vaccine production in it.”
He stressed on searching various sources and own production.
Public Health Expert Dr. Lenin Chowdhury told The New Nation, “In the view of achieving herd immunity, it has to vaccinate about 13 crore people. Inoculating only 25 lakh people each month needed huge time to attain the goal. It is not logical.”
He suggests preparing clear plan on vaccination.
