BSS, Dhaka
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday said the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine is set to begin on April 7 as the countrywide vaccination campaign was launched on February 7.
“As per WHO (World Health Organization) guideline, the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine has to be administered after eight weeks of the first dose,” he told a meeting at his ministry in the capital, an official release said.
Secretary of the Health Service Division Md Abdul Mannan, Secretary of Health Education Division Md Ali Noor, Director General of Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and heads of different relevant organizations of the health ministry, among others, were present at the meeting.
The health minister said a total of 36,46,970 people have so far been registered to receive COVID-19 vaccines as the vaccination campaign was launched on January 27.
As of February 22, the number of vaccine receivers is 23,08,157, he said, adding 15,18,715 are male and 7,89,442 female.
“Each person needs to be vaccinated with two doses… the second dose will be given after eight weeks,” Maleque added.
People aged 40 years and above now can get registered to receive Covid-19 vaccines, the health ministry sources said.
According to earlier decision of the government, people aged 55 years and above were only eligible for taking vaccines but the decision has been revised a day after launching of the countrywide Covid-19 vaccination campaign on February 7.
The vaccination drive was conducted at 50 hospitals in Dhaka city and 1005 hospitals outside the capital today, the DGHS said, adding the immunization programme will begin at 8am and it will continue till 2.30 pm every day.
But some hospitals will continue the vaccination programme throughout the day, the health official said.
