DGHS to administer 9m Covid booster doses in Dec

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday said that the government will launch a special Covid inoculation drive on the first week of December to celebrate the month of victory.

“As the Victory Day is approaching, health authorities have planned a special Covid vaccination campaign which will start from December 1 and continue till December 7,” he said while addressing an event marking the World Antibacterial Week in the capital yesterday.

“9 million people will be vaccinated in this special campaign,” the minister said, expressing his hope that this campaign would be as successful as the previous Covid vaccination drives.

“At present, some 50 million people are awaiting booster doses,” Zahid Maleque said.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sources said the campaign would run at 28,569 centres across the country, while 57,138 healthcare professionals will administer the vaccines. Some 1,42,845 volunteers would participate in the campaign.

According to the minister, the health ministry has organised 9 Covid vaccination campaigns till date, through which around 134.9 million doses of covid vaccine have been administered.

By November 21, 2022, 146.91 million people received the first dose of Covid vaccine, among whom 124.95 million received the second dose, DGHS sources say. Only 58.77 million among them have received a booster dose.

Bangladesh now has a stock of 10 million Covid jabs at hand.