Bangladesh kicks off nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive

Bangladesh has begun a nationwide vaccination programme with hopes of spurring a quick recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque launched the drive virtually at Mohakhali health centre at 10 am on Sunday.

“Today is a happy day for us. I was looking forward to this," he said while urging people not to spread 'rumours' about the vaccination process.

Education Minister Dipu Moni, Gazipur City Corporation Mayor Jahangir Alam and former food minister Qamrul Islam joined the health minister via video conference at the health directorate during the inauguration of vaccination drive.

Maleque also spoke to officials involved in vaccination activities in different districts after which the campaign kicked off.

He later went to the Sheikh Russell National Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital around 11:15 pm to receive a vaccine shot.

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, BMA President Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin and Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad President Iqbal Arslan were also vaccinated there.

A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine jab at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Sunday, Feb 7, 2021. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

The battle against the coronavirus started with the detection of the first COVID-19 case in Bangladesh on Mar 8 last year, said Maleque, adding, “We have started various initiatives to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There have been many criticisms about our activities but we have risen above those. Today, Bangladesh is in a better state than many countries. Our way of life is normal.”

Earlier, three Supreme Court justices were vaccinated at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University at around 9 am. Dr Dipankar Ghosh took the first jab at Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 9:30 am.

Vaccine shots are being given in 1,015 hospitals and health centres across the country, including 50 in Dhaka. From Monday onwards, vaccines will be administered every day from 8 am to 2:30 pm at the centres.

A team of 204 health workers in Dhaka and 2,196 outside Dhaka are engaged in vaccination work.

A total of 7,344 teams of health workers and volunteers have been formed to continuously vaccinate people against the coronavirus.

A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on the first day of the nationwide inoculation drive against the coronavirus, Feb 7, 2021. Photo: Kamal Hossain Talukder

Everyone interested in being inoculated must first register for the vaccines. More than 300,000 people have registered until Saturday.

DMCH Director Nazmul Haque said more than 3,000 people have registered for the vaccines at the hospital. Four to five hundred people will be vaccinated on Sunday, he added.

The vaccines are being administered in four booths, Nazmul said. The participants are kept under observation for 20-30 minutes after the shots.

Arrangements have been made in the case of any side effects, he said. However, no such responses have been recorded yet.

Bangladesh is using the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine which has been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. Each person will be given two doses of the vaccine.

The government has purchased 30 million doses of the vaccine from the Serum Institute of India.

It has already received a total of seven million doses of the vaccine, including two million free doses from the Indian government.

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. Priorities will be given to health workers and others on the frontline of the fight against the virus.

THE WAIT IS OVER

Former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque said he felt relieved after getting vaccinated and urged everyone to take the vaccine shots.

A health worker holds a vial of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University vaccination centre on Thursday, Jan 28, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

The 76-year-old received his vaccine jab at the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute at 10:30 am on Sunday.

“I was waiting for this vaccine. I feel relieved now. You’ll do yourself harm if you don’t get vaccinated,” he said.

As many as 80 people will be inoculated at the burns institute on Sunday, according to its director Prof Abul Kalam.

The vaccines are being administered in 10 booths, he said.

Those interested in getting vaccinated can register at www.surokkha.gov.bd. They also have the option of registering at the vaccination centres.

How to register for coronavirus vaccine in Bangladesh