Runu Veronica Costa, a nurse, becomes first to receive COVID vaccine as Bangladesh kicks off inoculation

A nurse of Kurmitola General Hospital, Runu Veronica Costa, has received the first COVID vaccine shot in Bangladesh as part of the country’s mass immunisation campaign.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the nationwide vaccination programme via videoconferencing on Wednesday, expressing hope that the inoculation will protect the people from the coronavirus, which has claimed at least 8,072 lives and infected 533,444 in Bangladesh.

Prof Nasima Sultana, additional director general of Health Services, Dr Ahmed Lutful Moben of Kurmitola General Hospital, Md Didarul Islam, a member of traffic police’s Motijheel unit, and Brigadier General M Imran Hamid of Bangladesh Army were next in line to be inoculated.

“Joy Bangla!” the Senior Staff Nurse Runu exclaimed on being vaccinated. The prime minister also raised her fist and joined Runu to celebrate the moment.

Hasina, who witnessed the administration of the first five vaccine shots, thanked God and said, “We have been able to buy and bring the vaccine in time. And we will be able to protect the people by administering the doses from today.”

“Today is a historic day for Bangladesh," the prime minister announced. "Many countries in the world are yet to start inoculating their populations, but we’ve done it despite having a dense population and limited economic power. Today, it has been proved that we work for the welfare of the people.”

A total of 26 people were inoculated on Wednesday. Five hospitals in Dhaka are set to administer the shots on around 500 others on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme via videoconferencing on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021.

Before starting mass vaccination, the authorities will observe them for at least a week following the World Health Organization protocol as the trials of the vaccine were not held in Bangladesh. The mass vaccination will begin on Feb 7 if everything goes according to the plan.

Besides the Kurmitola General Hospital, the first shots will be given at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Mugda General Hospital and Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital.

The hospitals have also made arrangements to observe the vaccinated people and treat them in case they have side effects. The second shots will be administered after eight weeks.

Bangladesh is using COVISHIELD, the vaccine developed by the UK’s University of Oxford and British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca, imported from the Serum Institute of India in campaign. The vaccine has been proved safe and efficient in trials.

The first batch of the 30m doses purchased by the government arrived on Monday. It contained five million shots. Bangladesh has also received two million doses from India as gift.

According to the national COVID vaccine distribution and preparation plan, the government will inoculate 80 percent of the country’s population, or around 138.24 million people.

The doses will be administered in five stages under three phases. In the first phase, 16.9 million people will get the vaccine, with priority on the health workers and others on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19.

All must register on the Surokkha mobile app or www.surokkha.gov.bd web application for the vaccination.

‘Joy Bangla!' exclaimed Runu Veronica Costa, a nurse of the Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka, after receiving the first COVID-19 vaccine shot in Bangladesh as part of the country’s mass immunisation campaign on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021.

‘ARE YOU AFRAID?’

The Kurmitola General Hospital organised the ceremony at its basement. The 32 people chosen from several professions and classes for the first shots arrived before the programme began at 3:30pm. The doctors finally picked 26 of them after check-up.

After Hasina declared the drive open, nurse Runu came up for the first shot. “Good afternoon, honourable prime minister,” Runu said with her hands folded together upon taking her seat at the booth.

As two health workers were preparing the dose for Runu, Hasina asked her, “Are you afraid?”

“You are very brave,” said Hasina after Runu replied that she was not afraid of receiving the vaccine.

After she received the jab, she was greeted with applause. The prime minister then wished her a healthy life so that she can serve many more patients.

Runu left her chair and raised her fist, shouting the “Joy Bangla” slogan. Others, including Hasina, joined her in chorus.

The prime minister also spoke to the four others who received the first shots, and gave them courage.

Brigadier General M Imran Hamid of Bangladesh Army was among the first five people to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Dhaka’s Kurmitola General Hospital on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021.

 

‘WISH I WERE VACCINATED’

Brig Gen Imran was the last of the five to take the shot.

After he received the dose, Hasina asked, “Done? Is it ok?”

She paused for a few moments and said, “I wish I were vaccinated there. But what would (the critics) say?

“So, let others get the vaccine first. Then I will (take it).”

Speaking at a press conference after the inauguration of the drive, Health Minister Zahid Maleque also said he would not jump the queue for the vaccine.

“I will take it once everyone in the country gets it. Otherwise, people will say that the ministers have exhausted the vaccines,” he said.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque briefing the media after the inauguration of the coronavirus vaccine drive in Dhaka’s Kurmitola General Hospital on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021.

 

‘EVERYONE IS OK’

Minister Maleque said that those who received the first shots were doing well.

“I’ve spoken to them all. They are doing well. They have no problem,” he said.

The minister said 42,000 workers will be deployed to launch the mass vaccination nationwide on Feb 7.

Everyone will be under observation after being vaccinated at district and Upazila levels, he said and added that the doctors will treat the participants if they develop side effects.

Maleque hoped they would be able to vaccinate 55 million people by June.

He also said the government chose people from several professions and classes to remove “negative perceptions” among the people about the side effects of the vaccine.

Meerjady Sabrina Flora, another additional director general of health services, said those who participated in the drive on the first day did not report noticeable changes in their body after taking the jab.

All of them returned home after the short observation period.

“Let me make it clear – every drug has some mild side effects. But we are watching the participants to see if they develop severe symptoms. Our team is following up,” she added.

Health Secretary Abdul Mannan and Director General of Health Services ABM Khurshid Alam were also present.