The Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) programme will begin for residents of ward no. 38 and 39 (Bandar Tila and South Halishahar) under Bandar Thana of the Chattogram City Corporation on Sunday.
The campaign will be led by the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), with support from the World Health Organization, icddr,b, the Civil Surgeon Office of Chattogram, and the Chattogram City Corporation.
The two-dose Euvichol-Plus Cholera vaccine, produced by EuBiologics Co. Ltd. in South Korea, will be given to individuals over one year of age, read a press release.
Everyone except for pregnant women and those who have received another vaccine in the past 14 days, is eligible for this vaccine.
Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease and a food- and water-borne illness. Outbreaks have ranged from the Ganges delta to Europe and America. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation systems are key contributors to these outbreaks.
The disease causes rapid dehydration and can lead to death if not treated promptly. Every year, approximately 1.3 to 4 million people worldwide contract cholera, with over 100,000 infections occurring in eight developing countries, including Bangladesh.
The prevalence of cholera in Bandar Thana of Chattogram is notably high.
To prevent this ancient but life-threatening disease, the OCV campaign will be carried out among 135,000 residents of Bandar Tila and South Halishahar areas through 45 centres.
The first dose of the OCV will be given from Sunday, 17 September to Thursday, 21 September, between 8 am and 4 pm.
Details, including the locations of the vaccination centres, will be announced in respective areas.
The second dose of the vaccine is planned to be scheduled in the second week of October, with details to be announced later.
This vaccine should be administered at least 14 days apart and has been prequalified by the World Health Organization. The initiative is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Residents in the area are strongly encouraged to take the vaccine to safeguard both themselves and their families from the outbreak.
