It is good to see that the mass registration for vaccination in Bangladesh has begun again, and even more encouraging to see that now, the minimum age for registration has been reduced to 35, compared to 40 earlier.
Bangladesh is currently going through its worst period with regard to Covid-19, with infection rates approaching 30%, the number of daily cases approaching 10,000, and daily deaths threatening to reach a double century. We have already seen what this virus can do in neighbouring India, and there is reason to fear that Bangladesh could very well be on its way to experiencing something similar. To that end, vaccination remains the best option to ensure that we do not have to face such a grim predicament; not only are vaccinated people less likely to catch the virus, but even if they do catch it, the risk of hospitalization reduces significantly.
Therefore, now that the government has done its job by starting mass vaccination again, it must ensure that the process of vaccine administration sees no hurdles and is as smooth as it was in the first round before the unfortunate halt.
Furthermore, the government must also ensure that we do not see any more halts to the vaccination process, and continue to procure vaccines.
However, it is also the general public’s turn now to do the responsible thing and register for their shot. It bears repeating: Vaccination is the best way to control this pandemic. If we are to stop this virus from devastating our country over and over again, people must be vaccinated. There is simply no alternative at this point.
