A mobile application (app) for registering for the government-run vaccine program is expected to be launched soon, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
“We want to launch the app at least two weeks prior to the arrival of the first vaccine in the country so that all background work is completed by then,” said DGHS Director (Management Information System) Dr Habibur Rahman.
Both the minister and secretary of health, while talking to the media, said that the vaccines would arrive anytime between early to late February.
The app would be ready within a very short time and definitely before the end of January, Habibur added without providing any specifics as other institutions are involved in the process.
The MIS of DGHS, along with a2i, and ICT division are building the app. According to the director, they are at the final stages of completion and are on modification of the app.
“To be a user one would need to register with the app. People with emergencies need to register first,” the director said.
App download from Google Play, Apple store
The DGHS director said that the government would make it an open source app that could be used by one and all freely.
“The apps would be available for download at Android [Google Play] and Apple store. It will be very user friendly,” he said.
When asked whether there would be a separate database for vaccine candidates, he said that their information would directly be stored in a cloud once the person registers.
Priority population to register following announcement
After installing the app, the user would have to register by providing a valid cellphone number where the health authorities would contact.
For the registration process, National Identification (NID) number, mobile number, date of birth, address, profession, gender, age, and co-morbidity related information needed to be provided.
“We will announce who is eligible and can register for vaccines before starting out every phase of vaccination. Following the announcement, professionals and others could register themselves using smartphones,” Habibur Rahman said.
The cellphone number is very important as four to five texts would be sent to inform the registered persons at every stage, he said.
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Every person would get two doses of vaccine and they would be informed via text messages where they would have to go to get vaccinated. They will be kept under observation after the first dose of vaccination, he added.
According to the DGHS director there would be options provided on the app where the users have to choose categories for profession, age, and co-morbidity. The users would be given a chance for vaccination based on the information provided during the registration.
There are plans to involve local Union Parishad and parliament representatives in the procedure for the minorities in remote areas who have little to no technological access, he added.
According to DGHS over 10,000 teams, consisting of some 6 members – with two health workers and four volunteers – would provide the vaccines in two or three days per week.
Who will be the first to get a jab?
MIS Director Dr Habibur Rahman said that healthcare professionals who are directly involved in the Covid-19 management, working at clinical treatment facilities, would be the first to get the vaccine.
Later on, other health care professionals indirectly involved in the treatment or not involved in the treatment will be given priority. Other frontline workers, people with comorbidity, and people aged more than 60 would get the vaccine in phases, he added. “We are targeting vaccination for 2.5 million people each month.”
Meanwhile, DGHS on Saturday informed the media that there is a possibility of getting the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine for 0.4% of the population.
The volume of the vaccine imported would be informed by the end of the month, it said. DGHS added that the vaccine would be imported on the condition to vaccinate frontline fighters only, and other healthcare professionals.
According to the draft, Vaccine Management Guideline the vaccine would be given in five phases.
Although there is an urge to ensure a vaccine for at least 70% of the total population that could build herd immunity among the nation, according to the guideline DGHS, they are planning to bring some 80% (more than 130 million) of the total population into the vaccination program which might take years to complete.