The 21st National Immunisation Day programme was observed almost peacefully across the country yesterday.
Health Secretary MM Niazuddin inaugurated the programmes at Dhaka Shishu Hospital in the capital’s Agargaon.
Prof Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah, director general of the Directorate General Health Services, Amir Hossain, director general of family planning, Dr Shah Newaz, director (administration) of health, Dr Jayontha Liyange of WHO (Immunisation and Vaccine Development) and other high-ups of the health and family planning sectors were present at the inaugural.
Some 22 million children aged up to 59 months were given each two drop of oral polio vaccines.
Around 6.5 million health workers and volunteers had been working in 1.3 million polio centres and different bus, train and lunch stations across the country to make the programme a success.
Though there was a feeling of apprehension because of the opposition’s 83-hour blockade, no such obstacles were reported, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
However at a press conference, the opposition announced that the National Immunisation Day programmes would be outside the purview of the blockade.
Tajul Islam Bari, programme manager of Expanded Immunisation Programmes, told the Dhaka Tribune, “We will get the total rate of vaccination coverage tomorrow.”
He said the immunisation coverage in the last year’s NID programme was 97.5% while it might be .5% less this year.
Harun-or-Rashid, president, Bangladesh Health Employees Association, said last night, “So far we didn’t get any untoward news while carrying out the vaccination programme.”
Most health workers and volunteers were performing their duties across the country including at the bus, launch and railway stations amid apprehension of untoward incidents during the ongoing blockade, he said.
Bangladesh has been a polio-free country since November 22, 2006.
It would achieve a polio-free status in February next year.
