Bangladesh drafts plan to vaccinate 140 million against COVID-19 in phases

The government has drafted a plan to vaccinate around 140 million people, or 80 percent of the population, against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as it hopes to receive the first shots by February.

People on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic has been prioritised in the plan to be executed in five stages in three phases requiring around 180 million doses, as a person requires two jabs.

The National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines in Bangladesh, or NDVP, is a live document and will be reviewed and revised as new information becomes available. It was presented for the health ministry’s approval in the first week of December.

Meeting the ambitious target hinges on securing enough doses, which will not be an easy task, admitted Dr Mushtuq Husain, a member of the committee on COVID-19 vaccine distribution and preparations.

HOW THE DOSES WILL BE GIVEN     

In the first phase, the shots will be given in two stages, according to the draft plan. Over 5.1 million people, or 3 percent of the population, will receive the doses in stage 1 and over 12 million, or 7 percent of the population, in stage 2.

In stage 2 of the first phase, people aged over 60 and those with morbidity will be prioritised.

The Health Services Division plans to vaccinate more than 17.2 million people, or nine percent of the population, in the second phase.

The third phase also has two stages - first one for inoculation of 34.5 million, or 20 percent of the population, and second one for 69.1 million, or 40 percent of the population.

Bangladesh hopes to get 90 million doses initially for 45 million people.

It struck a deal with the Serum Institute of India for 30 million shots of the vaccine developed by Britain’s University of Oxford and drugmaker AstraZeneca. The first doses under the deal are expected to arrive by February.

Another 60 million doses are expected by June through the COVAX programme led by the World Health Organisation and global vaccine alliance GAVI.

PRIORITY TARGET POPULATION

>>  Vaccination of 463,361 people - All government health care workers directly involved in COVID-19 response (Health service provider: Doctors, nurse and midwifery personnel, medical and pathology lab personnel, environmental and occupational health and hygiene personnel, physiotherapy personnel, traditional and complimentary medicine personnel, community health workers, ambulance driver etc).

>> Vaccination of 700,000 people - All private and independent health care workers directly involved in COVID-19 response (Health service provider: Doctors, nurse and midwifery personnel, medical and pathology lab personnel, environmental and occupational health and hygiene personnel, physiotherapy personnel, traditional and complimentary medicine personnel, community health workers, ambulance driver etc).

>> Vaccination of 150,000 people - All Government and private health care workers working in healthcare settings, who are not directly involved in COVID-19 response (health management and support workers: administrative staff, clerical staff, craft and trade workers, laundry workers, kitchen staff, driver other than ambulance etc).

>> Vaccination of 210,000 people - Freedom fighter The freedom fighters (Mukti Bahini) consisting of military, paramilitary and civilians during the war of Liberation in 1971.

>> Vaccination of 546,619 people - Frontline law and enforcement agencies personnel directly involved COVID-19 response.

>> Vaccination of 308,713 people - Other uniform and defence forces (Army, Navy, Air force, RAB, BGB, President Guard Regiment).

>> Vaccination of 5,000 people - Government high officials/bureaucrats essential for state functioning (ministry, secretariat, DCs, UNOs).

>> Vaccination of 50,000 people - Frontline journalists and media personnel.

>> Vaccination of 68,298 - Elected public representatives (MPs, City corporation/municipality: mayor and Councillor, district council, Upazila Parishad, Union Parishad etc)

>> Vaccination of  people - Essential staff in City corporation and municipality (except elected personnel already included): service staff directly giving public service, cleaners etc).

>> Vaccination of 150,000 people - Religious leaders (Imams, muazzin), Temples, Church others.

>> Vaccination of 586,000 people - Personnel handling burials.

>> Vaccination of 75,000 people - Essential staff in WASSA and DESA, fires services, public transport

>> Vaccination of 350,000 people - Port Authority (Land, Sea and Air)

>> Vaccination of 150,000 people - Personnel providing services in different port along with air crew

>> Vaccination of 120,000 people - Essential travellers at risk of acquiring infection outside the home country and reintroducing infection upon return to home country such as business travellers, aid workers).

>> Vaccination of 350,000 people - Government staff working at district and subdistrict level dealing with public services.

>> Vaccination of 197,621 people - Bank staff dealing with public.

>> Vaccination of 575,000 people - Immunocompromised patients (Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Cancer)

>> Vaccination of 26,721 people - Health care workers in Rohingya camp

According to the draft, doses will be reserved for reallocation among 101,949 from the priority groups to meet the increase demand for any emergency and outbreak management.

It is possible to implement the plan, subject to availability of the doses, said Dr Mushtuq.

A third of the first consignment will be given to the people and the rest will be kept for their second doses, he said, explaining how the government should proceed with the plan.

Wealthy countries are fuelling an extraordinary gap in access to the vaccines around the world, laying claim to more than half the doses that could come on the market by the end of next year.

Dr Mushtuq said all the countries like Bangladesh must bargain together to secure their doses.

He also believes Bangladesh should use the capacity of its pharmaceutical industry to ensure COVID-19 vaccines for all.

Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, additional director general at the Directorate General of Health Services, said the draft plan also discusses ways to procure other materials, such as syringes, for the inoculation.