Administering 2nd dose Cholera vaccine begins on Aug 3

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) will start administering the second dose of cholera vaccine from August 3 in five areas of Dhaka city.

The programme will run till August 10 from 8:00am to 4:00pm except August 5 and August 9 under the supervision of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said an icddr’b a press released.

A total of 2.36 million residents in Jatrabari, Dakshin Khan, Sabujbagh, Mohammadpur and Mirpur who received the first-dose of oral cholera vaccination will be given the second-dose during the drive.

Those who received the first dose between June 26 and July 2 can receive the second-dose by presenting their vaccine card at their respective vaccine centres, the released said.

The Director of DGHS’s Disease Control and Line Director Disease Control Program Professor Dr Mohammad Nazmul Islam said, "We got an overwhelmed response from the residents of five areas of Dhaka and could vaccinated a record number of residents there in a very short time.”

Dr Firdausi Qadri, senior scientist and acting senior director of Infectious Diseases Division at the icddr,b called on everyone to get vaccinated with the oral cholera vaccine, and maintain disease preventive measures such as the use of safe water, safe sanitation and personal hygiene, to be protected from many infectious diseases including diarrhoea.

People aged above one-year will get the two-dose Euvichol-Plus Cholera vaccine produced by EuBiologics Co Ltd of South Korea is given at least 14 days apart.

This vaccine is prequalified by the World Health Organization, and can be given to all except pregnant women and those who have received any other vaccine within the last 14 days.

The icddr,b is undertaking the largest cholera vaccination campaign with support from the Dhaka North and South City Corporations and under the supervision of the DGHS. The campaign is also supported by the National Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), World Health Organization, UNICEF, International Red Cross and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and MSF. It is being funded by The Vaccine Alliance, GAVI.

The vaccination drive is being implemented through 700 vaccination centres at Jatrabari, Dakshin Khan, Sabujbagh, Mohammadpur and Mirpur.