Bangladesh opens second phase of COVID vaccination

Bangladesh has started the second phase of its inoculation drive against the COVID-19, amid a daily record surge in cases.

Those who have already received the first dose will get the second shot, while the rest of the people will receive the first dose.

Bangladesh is administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India.

More than 5.5 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine since the mass immunisation kicked off on Feb 7. They will now receive the second dose.

A man receives his second shot of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday, Apr 8, 2021. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine COVISHIELD is administered in two doses. Over 5.5 million people received their first dose of the vaccine since the start of the mass vaccination on Feb 7. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

On Monday, the authorities started sending mobile text messages informing the people about the schedule for the second dose. They have to visit the same vaccination centre where they had availed the first shot.

"Many of those who took the first shot on Jan 26-27 on trial will also receive the second shot. Those who have never received a text message for the second dose can go to the same centre for vaccination," said Dr Md Shamsul Haque, a director at the Directorate General of Health Services.

The two doses of the vaccine are being administered with a gap of two months.