Children aged between 5-11 will get vaccines against Covid-19 on an experimental basis on August 11, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Sunday.
The full-fledged vaccination programme for children will start on August 26, he said while talking to reporters after a programme marking World Breastfeeding Week-2022 at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) in the city.
“Fifteen lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine have arrived on Sunday and we have taken all preparation to bring the children under vaccination programme,” he said.
Currently, the health workers are administering first, second doses and booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine but people will not be able to get second doses after some days as the stock of vaccines will expire soon, he said.
He also urged people to take Covid-19 jabs as soon as possible.
Referring to the monkeypox virus, Zahid said already the virus has spread to many countries including those in America and Europe but there is nothing to be worried about as it has not been declared a pandemic.
About Breastfeeding Week, the minister said 60-70 per cent of children are now under breastfeeding and still 40 per cent of deliveries take place at home which should come down.
