A special campaign for administering the fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose started on Tuesday (Dec 20). Ahmedul Kabir, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, launched the campaign at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka at 9:00 a.m., local media reported.
People aged above 60, who already received their third Covid jabs, will be vaccinated under this campaign, according to the DGHS.
Besides, frontliners, pregnant women, immunocompromised people and citizens aged 18 and above suffering from chronic diseases will be given the vaccine during the campaign, according to a circular of Covid-19 vaccine management taskforce committee.
The frontliners include – freedom fighters, staffers of the health ministry, its fellow organisations and authorised private healthcare organisations, all employees of the government, private and autonomous organisations, law enforcement and military personnel, journalists, bank employees, national team players and others working in the frontline.
Only Pfizer vaccine will be used in the campaign and the jabs will be given at permanent vaccination centres across the country.
There are around 1,000 such centres, according to the DGHS.
As of Dec 14, around 14.9 crore people have been inoculated with the first dose while more than 12.65 crore people with the second dose and around 6.46 crore with the booster dose against Covid-19.
The government started mass inoculation against the Covid-19 vaccine on Feb 8 last year.
Meanwhile, the special campaign for administering the fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose began in the port city on Tuesday. The vaccination programme will continue in all health complexes of 15 upazilas of the district and the permanent vaccination centers in the city, health officials say.
Preparations have been completed to give the fourth dose of Covid vaccine in the upazila health complexes.
A fourth dose will be given to persons who have passed four months after receiving the third dose. Pfizer vaccine will be administered in the fourth dose. However, it has been decided to vaccinate with Sinobac if Pfizer does not remain available here.
City Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury inaugurated the vaccination programme at City Corporation's Memon Hospital in the morning. The program will be conducted in the city's permanent vaccination centers including General Hospital, Chattogram Medical College Hospital and City Corporation General Hospital.
Dr. Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, supervisor of Chattogram General Hospital told National News Agency of Bangladesh that the vaccination program is usually going on in the hospital every day.
"Since the fourth dose has started, we have fixed a room. We will vaccinate anyone. But four months must pass after taking the third dose," he added.
The Covid booster dose programme started in Chattogram from Dec 28, 2021.
