The Bangladesh government on Saturday morning started its day-long campaign to administer the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 10 million people across the country.
The health authorities said they have enough doses of the vaccine to reach the goal.
“The campaign will continue as long as there are people,” Health Services Division Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah told reporters at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Long queues were seen at the vaccination centres accross the country as the government has undertaken a campaign to administer the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 10million people on Saturday, February 26, 2022 Mehedi Hassan/Dhaka TribuneThe vaccination started at 8am and will continue throughout the day, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The DGHS director general on Friday attributed the controlling of the third wave of the pandemic, which hit Bangladesh mid-January, to the expansion of vaccination coverage.
"We have laid emphasis on vaccination coverage as it [vaccine] has reduced both fatalities and positivity rate of Covid-19... More than 80% deaths linked to the coronavirus are of unvaccinated people," said DGHS chief Prof ABM Khurshid Alam.
People crowded the vaccination centres accross the country as the government has undertaken a campaign to administer the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 10million people on Saturday, February 26, 2022 Mehedi Hassan/Dhaka TribuneDr Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the National Covid-19 Vaccine Management Taskforce, said people would be allowed to receive the Covid-19 vaccine without registration or any documents, at any centre.
"The main objective of Saturday’s mass vaccination campaign is to bring all vulnerable groups under vaccination coverage," he added.
"A total of 30,000 vaccination booths will be set up across the country alongside mobile inoculation centres from city corporations to union levels," he said.
Long queues were seen outside packed vaccination centres in Dhaka in the morning.
Long queues were seen at the vaccination centres accross the country as the government has undertaken a campaign to administer the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 10million people on Saturday, February 26, 2022 Mehedi Hassan/Dhaka TribuneDhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam at a centre in Mohammadpur warned that trade licences will not be renewed if the holders do not have proof of vaccination.
A total of 193,767,457 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, including booster doses, were administered in the country till Thursday.