The nationwide mass vaccination campaign began today with a target to inoculate 75 lakh people on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's birthday.
"The mass vaccination campaign started from 9 am and it will continue till the target is fulfilled," Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam told media.
"Nearly 2.5 crore people, who got them registered, are waiting for receiving Covid-19 vaccines... among the registered people, we have targeted to inoculate 75 lakh people," he added.
Registration is mandatory to receive coronavirus vaccines during the day-long vaccination campaign, Alam said, adding, "Roughly five lakh people are being vaccinated daily... meaning nearly 80 lakh people will be immunized today."
The day-long vaccination campaign may be extended, if the vaccination drive is hampered in any remote or hard-to-reach areas due to rough weather, the DGHS chief added.
During the campaign, people will receive the first dose of coronavirus vaccine and they will be given the second dose of inoculation on October 28, he added.
The DGHS sources said people aged 25 and above will be vaccinated today.
The government has prepared 80 thousand health workers including 48 thousand 59 volunteers to make the countrywide vaccination campaign a success, he added.
Bangladesh has been lauded globally to control the Covid-19 pandemic as the country has intensified its multiple efforts including vaccination and improving the healthcare system to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
As of September 27, nearly 2.5 crore people received the first shot and 1 core 64 lakh 99 thousand 866 exhausted the course getting the second dose of the inoculate.
The number of people who got them registered so far is 48 lakh 19 thousand 503, the DGHS sources said.
