There is hope that Bangladesh will soon have the Covid-19 vaccine to start administering it on the population.
However, as virologist Prof Dr Nazrul Islam cautioned, it could be a long time before the entire population is immunized, which could be further jeopardized if we do not have an effective plan in place on vaccinating the population.
The Covid-19 vaccine is a priceless commodity, and as such, it behooves all relevant stakeholders associated with the vaccine to ensure that it retains its effectiveness, and that no doses are compromised due to logistical or administrative bottlenecks.
Indeed, from storing the vials at the right temperatures, to proper implementation of the deployment plan, to recruiting skilled personnel to vaccinate citizens and maintaining a database -- all are critical components to the entire process, and failure to maintain the highest standard in any of these avenues could effectively be disastrous for citizens across the nation.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that vaccination will rid Covid-19 once and for all. We must be prepared for the possible reality of multiple vaccinations, and thus, in order to meet expected future demands, we cannot and must not rule out exploring alternative sources of vaccines as well.
Therefore, as Bangladesh waits for the vaccine, we must remember that only an effective and sustainable plan that is implemented well, where all moving parts are perfectly in sync, will be sufficient to successfully vaccinate the population.
It is also vital to remember that the vaccine does not signal the end of basic hygiene measures -- handwashing, wearing masks, and social distancing -- will remain the gold standard to curb the spread of the coronavirus.