Reza Mahmud :
Public health experts have warned that the ‘variant of concern’ Omicron is severely contagious and needs utmost vaccination to contain spreading of the variant in the country.
They said that issuing restrictions by the government is timely and a good initiative but it is not enough to curb the contamination as large number of people of the country are staying out of vaccination programme.
The government imposed fresh restrictions with 11 point directives from Monday to curb the spreading of the variant including wearing face mask outside is a mandatory and banning all kinds of gatherings in open places.
In the number nine of the 11 point directives it has been said that the Health Ministry will ramp up activities to raise awareness about the booster shots of the vaccines with the help of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Meanwhile, the latest data of the Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS) showed that 5,51,70,157 people were inoculated with second shots of the Covid-19 jabs till Monday, which is about 40 pc against target 80 pc population of the country.
It also about 32 pc against total population of the country, the official data showed.
Public health experts have welcomed the restrictions calling for gearing up vaccination programme and to bring highest people under inoculations saying that vaccination is the main weapon to fight to contain the fatal virus.
“The best way of approaching is vaccination of most people to prevent the spreading of the deadly disease,” Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation said it while talking with The New Nation on Tuesday.
“The restrictions or sanctions are quite compatible with the effort to contain spread of Corona. As far as known Omicron situation is not found significant till now,” the Professor said. So Bangladesh need to stop or reduce the spread of Corona, he added.
The former WHO adviser said that the government should follow the advise of WHO by building awareness among people while also involve them.
“Without involving people it will be impossible to the compliance of the restrictions by common people,” the professor said.
He, however, said that compliance to preventive health measures of wearing mask, hand sanitization, avoiding crowds and maintaining distance from others is the important ways in this regard.
Talking with The New Nation, Professor Dr. Be-Nazir Ahmed, former Director of disease control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told, “A large number of people are remaining out of covering vaccination programme who are in serious risk. Keeping such a big portion of the people beyond inoculation it would not be possible to contain the new wave driven by the Omicron.”
He said many people are yet to unwilling to be vaccinated. Those people have to must bring under the very important programme.
Public health expert Dr. Lenin Chowdhury told The New Nation that the government should ensure quick administering of the jab to minimum 80 percent of the population.
He said keeping almost 60 pc people out of inoculation the fight against the pandemic would not be viable.
