Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said his government is giving the highest priority to the implementation of the national vaccination program - EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) - to prevent measles outbreaks in the country.
The prime minister said this while replying to a starred tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker from Jamalpur-3 constituency Md Mustafizur Rahman Babul in the National Parliament on Wednesday afternoon with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.
The leader of the house said the causes and spread of measles, as well as the impact of various policy and operational factors on vaccination activities, are regularly reviewed and evaluated.
He said that under the EPI program, vaccine procurement, storage and distribution are carried out in accordance with international standards and existing government rules and regulations.
Regarding the measles outbreaks, Tarique Rahman said the matter will be reviewed based on the necessary data and technical evaluation to determine whether any changes in the vaccine procurement system have had a negative impact on the vaccination program.
“If the review finds evidence of negligence or dereliction of duty by any individual or institution, appropriate action will be taken in accordance with existing laws and regulations,” he added.
To avoid situations in the future, the premier said, the government has already taken initiatives to ensure continuity in vaccine supply management, strengthen vaccine stock management, expand disease surveillance activities, enhance rapid outbreak detection and response mechanisms, increase public awareness, and further strengthen coordination with national and international stakeholders.
He further said that special vaccination programs are ongoing to increase immunization coverage for measles and to bring vulnerable populations under protection.