vaccination
Covid-19: Vaccination campaign begins at Rohingya camps
Vaccination against Covid-19 began at Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar district on Tuesday.
As part of its involvement in the vaccination programme of the government, Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC organized the campaign titled ‘Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign for Rohingya Community’.
Trained nurses of BRAC gave vaccines to the Rohingyas at camps 1-East, 8-East and No. 13 in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
Also read: Mega Covid inoculation drive begins in Bangladesh
The inoculation drive will take place from 9:30am to 2:30pm till August 18.
No alternative to mass vaccination of apparel workers: BGMEA
There is no alternative to mass vaccination of the apparel workers to keep the operation of the factories uninterrupted and protect the country’s economy, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan has said.
He expressed sincere thanks and gratitude towards the government for bringing the workers of the apparel industry under the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Earlier, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) requested the government to bring RMG workers under vaccination on a priority basis, considering them as frontliners who are working amid the pandemic to protect the economy of the country.
Also read: Take responsibility for Covid treatment of RMG workers: SKOP to owners
The BGMEA President requested all members and stakeholders involved to follow health safety guidelines, especially wearing mask to minimize the risk of Covid-19 infection and spread.
Vaccination of employees and workers of Mithela Group in Narayanganj has started, says BGMEA.
Nazrul Islam Babu, MP, Mithela Group Chairman Azahar Khan, Upazila Health and Family Planning Office Dr. Saima Afroz Eva and Araihazar Upazila Civil Surgeon were present at the vaccination programme that began on Saturday.
RMG factories to remain open amid 'all-out' lockdown: BGMEA president
The Mithela Group workers received the Covid-19 vaccines as part of the program launched by the government on July 18 to vaccinate apparel workers.
11 billion-plus doses needed to vaccinate 70% people: Guterres
More than 11 billion doses are needed to vaccinate 70% of the global population – a key threshold to ending the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN chief said Thursday.
This will take the largest public health effort in history, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said while addressing the first International Forum on Covid-19 Vaccine Cooperation in China through a video message.
The global pandemic has already claimed more than 4 million lives. Against this backdrop, Guterres underscored that the world needs a Global Vaccine Plan to at least double vaccine production and ensure equitable distribution, using COVAX as a platform.
"We also need an Emergency Task Force – at the G20 level – to coordinate its implementation," he said.
Read: Moderna says vaccine 93% effective but seeks 3rd-shot in fall
Although the remarkable and rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines offers "great hope" that the devastating pandemic can be overcome, everyone must be reached everywhere, "as quickly as possible," the UN chief said.
To double the manufacturing capacity, a much greater sharing of technology and know-how will be needed.
It will also require strengthening and building local production capacities around the world and addressing supply chain bottlenecks, according to the UN chief.
"This is a matter of fairness and justice – but it is also critical to avoid the emergence of further variants that can resist the current vaccines and undermine national vaccination efforts," he said.
Read: Bangladesh to procure 6 crore Sinopharm vaccine doses: Minister
The UN chief welcomed agreements signed last month with the UN-led equitable vaccine distribution initiative, COVAX, for the provision of Chinese-developed Sinopharm and Sinovac shots, saying the deal unlocked potential supplies of more than 500 million doses.
Also, the top UN official described the first meeting of the International Vaccine Forum as "a critical opportunity to bring together countries with vaccine production capacities, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers to advance global cooperation on vaccines."
Bangladesh to procure 6 crore Sinopharm vaccine doses: Minister
The government will procure six crore more doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China to ramp up the inoculation drive across Bangladesh, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday.
“We’ve signed a deal with China to receive 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm vaccine. China has already started sending the vaccine doses. We’ll sign another agreement to collect six core more doses as the prime minister has approved it,” he said.
The health minister came up with the disclosure while inaugurating a covid field hospital at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Also read: Mega Covid inoculation drive begins in Bangladesh
“Of the seven crore doses of Sinopharm vaccine, two crore doses will arrive in October and November each while some more vaccine jabs will come before the two months though those will be less in quantity,” he said.
Thousands jam Philippine vaccination sites over false news
Thousands of people jammed coronavirus vaccination centers in the Philippine capital, defying social distancing restrictions, after false news spread that unvaccinated residents would be deprived of cash aid or barred from leaving home during a two-week lockdown that started Friday.
Officials placed Metropolitan Manila backed under lockdown until Aug. 20, as a new spike in COVID-19 infections that health officials say could be due to the highly contagious delta variant threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Three other regions, including nearby Laguna province, were also placed under lockdown until Aug. 15.
Only authorized workers for essential businesses and residents on medical emergencies or food-buying errands can venture out. An eight-hour curfew was imposed in the capital region starting at 8 p.m. and police checkpoints were set up in city boundaries.
Also read: Pizza for shots: UK targets young with vaccine incentives
A day before the lockdown, false news spread on social media that unvaccinated residents would either be prohibited from leaving their homes to go to work or deprived of 1,000 pesos ($20) aid. It sent large crowds heading for vaccination centers in the cities of Manila, Las Pinas and Antipolo even without prior registrations.
Thousands lined up for several blocks in designated government centers and shopping malls to get the jabs, at times sparking arguments and complaints and snarling traffic.
In Manila alone, up to 22,000 people showed up outside vaccination centers before dawn. People descended in groups and arrived in vans from nearby provinces, some “rowdily removing barricades,” city officials said, citing police reports. Many were not registered under Manila’s immunization program.
Police were forced to stop vaccinations in at least one of the shopping malls and asked the crowds to return home.
Also read: Vaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery, shows new data
Critics partly blamed President Rodrigo Duterte for the confusion. The brash-speaking leader warned Filipinos last week that those who refuse to get vaccinated will not be allowed to leave their homes as a safeguard against the spread of the delta variant. He acknowledged that there was no specific law for such a restriction.
For people who refuse to receive COVID-19 vaccine, Duterte said, “well, for all I care, you can die anytime.”
“We cannot allow our national immunization program to become superspreader events, especially given the threat posed by the delta variant,” the Department of Health said in a statement following the chaotic scenes.
Officials later stressed that even unvaccinated residents could venture out in case of medical emergency. They can also obtain village permission to buy food, medicine or other essential items. They cautioned the public not to fall for fake news on social media and urged them to follow official government announcements.
The government’s vaccination campaign, which started in March after repeated delays, has faced vaccine shortages, delivery delays and hesitancy, including from those who prefer Western brands.
More than 10.2 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated and 12.2 million others have received their first coronavirus shots. About 70 million people are targeted to be immunized this year, said Carlito Galvez Jr., who oversees the program.
The Philippines reported more than 8,100 confirmed COVID-19 infections Thursday, with 196 deaths, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to more than 1.6 million with 28,427 deaths in one of Southeast Asia’s worst outbreaks.
Covid-19: Bangladesh lowers vaccination age to 25
The government has lowered the minimum age limit for taking Covid-19 jabs to 25 from 30 years in a bid to give a boost to the lagging vaccination rates in the country.
From now on, people aged 25 and above are eligible to register for taking vaccines through Surrokha app, said sources at the health directorate on Thursday.
The official app, launched by the ICT Division of Bangladesh for providing the facility to register for vaccination, also came up with the information.
Also read: All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina
Earlier on July 19, the government lowered the age limit from 35 to 30 for vaccine registration.
Bangladesh to resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs soon
Bangladesh will resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs soon, said DGHS spokesperson Prof Dr Nazmul Islam on Wednesday.
“We had to stop giving Astrazeneca vaccine to people halfway through due to its short supply. But we’re hopeful of resuming its rollout soon as we’ve received a supply from Japan,” he said during the regular briefing of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
"We’ll get more AstraZeneca supplies within a few days. The wait of those who’re worried about the second dose will hopefully end soon,” he added.
Read: Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
Responding to a question on why the vaccination drive with Astrazeneca has not resumed yet, the spokesperson said,” We’re waiting for the arrival of further supplies.”
Bangladesh received the first consignment of 2,45,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Japan on July 24.
Read: Age limit to be lowered to 18 for Covid vaccination: Health DG
The vaccine doses came under the COVAX facility.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito earlier said Japan would provide a total of 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh.
Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
The Covid-19 vaccination programme at union level will start across the country on August 7, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday.
The minister announced the government's decision while talking to reporters after a meeting held at the conference room of the Cabinet division.
“The prime minister has ordered speeding up the vaccination drive. One can get vaccinated at the union level showing his or her NID card. Vaccination centres will be set up in unions across the country before August 7,” he said.
Also read:Covid fatality rate 90% among elderly villagers, says health minister
Those who do not have any NID will be vaccinated under a special arrangement, he added.
Bangladesh plans to vaccinate 1 crore people each month: Health Minister
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said the government has planned to bring some 1 crore people under its vaccination programme each month using 21 crore vaccine doses to be collected from different sources.
The minister said this while talking to reporters after visiting a field hospital at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
“There’s no alternative to vaccination to prevent the Covid-19 transmission,” he said, reminding all of a looming crisis of hospital beds as Covid cases keep rising.
READ: Dhaka to receive 30 lakh more Sinopharm jabs this month, says health minister
Seventy-five percent of the very recent patients admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka are holidaymakers who have returned from villages after Eid, said the minister.
“The number of Covid cases has increased by five to six times more following the Eid travelling,” he said.
The minister said the BSMMU field hospital opened for treating Covid patients with 1,000 beds, including 200 ICU and HDU ones, will start operation on Saturday next.
The increasing number of Dengue patients at hospitals is creating a new kind of crisis amid the risk of Covid transmission, said Zahid Maleque.
READ: All adults to be gradually vaccinated: Health Minister
He said the government is planning to designate hospitals for Dengue treatment considering the sensitivity of the situation.
Vaccine institute in Bangladesh can be a gamechanger for its economy: Experts
As the government has planned to establish a vaccine institute, experts have appreciated it as a timely and bold move as they think Bangladesh has huge potential to grab the international vaccine market like medicines.
They also said the local and international vaccine markets will continue to grow as vaccine safety is now becoming as important as food security with the emergence of various diseases, flues and viruses like Covid.
The analysts think an international standard vaccine institute will not only be a gamechanger for the country’s economy but also for its image and reputation building globally.
Also read: International vaccine institute to be set up in Bangladesh: Hasina
They said the government should focus on developing skilled human resources alongside setting up the institutes to run it effectively and produce quality vaccines as Bangladesh’s many public institutions fall apart only because of poor management and lack of efficient manpower.