A total of 603,395 children in Khulna district have been targeted for typhoid vaccination under an upcoming campaign.
Children aged between nine months and 15 years will receive the vaccine free of charge at community centers and educational institutions. Online registration is mandatory to receive the vaccine, and registered participants will be provided with both a vaccination card and certificate.
These details were announced on Wednesday at separate press conferences organized by the Civil Surgeon’s Office and the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) ahead of the Typhoid Vaccination Campaign.
The campaign will begin on Sunday and continue in two phases until November 13. As of 1pm on Wednesday, 23.76% of the targeted children in Khulna had completed online registration.
Regardless of where the registration is completed, a child may receive the vaccine from any convenient centre. Unregistered children will also be vaccinated under special arrangements but will not receive a vaccination card or certificate.
According to the briefings, 431,025 children in nine upazilas of Khulna district and 172,370 in 31 wards of the KCC have been targeted. As of 1pm on Wednesday, 143,389 children had completed online registration—100,875 in the upazilas and 42,514 in the city area.
Within the KCC area, 172,370 children are expected to be vaccinated under the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). The information was disclosed at a press conference held at the Nagar Health Office on Wednesday afternoon, organized by the KCC Health Department.
Khulna Divisional Commissioner and KCC Administrator Md Firoz Sarker, attending as the chief guest, said media professionals have an important role to play in making the campaign successful.
He urged all to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated, adding that children without birth certificates would still be vaccinated under special arrangements. He also said that if a child is unwell and unable to receive the vaccine immediately, they may take it later upon recovery.
“This vaccine is completely safe and not experimental,” he assured, expressing hope that the campaign would be 100% successful in building a healthy and strong generation.
The conference further revealed that 565 educational institutions and community centres within the KCC area will serve as vaccination sites. As part of the national Typhoid Vaccination Campaign 2025, the government’s EPI program will be implemented across the country from Sunday to protect children from typhoid fever.
Under the Typhoid Vaccination Campaign (TVC) campaign in Khulna, vaccinations will be administered at schools and fixed centres from October 12 to 30, and in communities and permanent centres from November 1 to 13.
Every child aged between nine months and under 15 years will receive a single dose of the vaccine. Parents must register their children online by providing the 17-digit birth registration number through the website www.vaxepi.gov.bd.
World Health Organization (WHO) Medical Officer Dr Nazmur Rahman Sajib gave a detailed presentation on the vaccination process.
He informed that 252 vaccinators, 350 volunteers, 62 frontline supervisors, eight second-tier supervisors, four cold-chain managers, and four IT managers will be engaged in the campaign.
Dr Sajib said that this year, all children aged nine months to under 15 years will receive the typhoid vaccine free of charge. Next year, the coverage will be extended to include children up to two years old.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that no child is left out and urged collective efforts and awareness campaigns. He expressed hope that by Sunday, at least 50% of children would be registered online, adding that the typhoid vaccination certificate would become as important as the Covid-19 certificate.
He called on all parents to complete online registration and ensure their children receive the typhoid vaccine.