36 districts get ready for the jab

It is encouraging to learn from a report published in this daily that 36 districts have already received the vaccine according to a list prepared by the government, and the remaining districts are scheduled to receive them soon ahead of the mass inoculation campaign set to begin from February 7. Bangladesh purchased three crore doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII)—50 lakh doses of which arrived in Dhaka on January 25. Besides, the country received 20 lakh doses of the vaccine from the Indian government as a gift on January 21. The government has targeted vaccinating 60 lakh people in the first month and another 50 lakh the following month.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited, the local agent of SII, has transported a total of 25.32 lakh doses from its Tongi warehouse to 28 districts on Thursday, and to eight more districts on Friday. So far, no major problem has been reported regarding the purchasing, piloting, transporting and storing of the vaccine. However, there are some who are behind schedule in training volunteers at the district, city corporation and upazila levels. Needless to say, it would have been much better if the training was completed earlier as the vaccination programme has been in discussion for some time now.

The government's swift initiative to carry out the mass campaign nationwide is surely commendable and we remain optimistic about the programme and hope everyone will register online for getting the vaccine. The training phase must be completed immediately so that the volunteers are well-prepared. Priority should be given to the frontline workers, elderly population and those with pre-existing health conditions. All recipients of the vaccine must also be kept under observation in case of any side effects and the follow-up doses must be ensured. We hope the authorities will take every precaution prior to the inoculation programme, including proper storage of the vaccine during transportation especially. Strong governance and a well-thought-out vaccination policy are key factors in executing the campaign successfully. Awareness campaigns to encourage people to take the vaccine and allay any fears regarding its safety should be initiated all over the country to combat the negative propaganda spread in social media and other platforms. Given Bangladesh's excellent track record of immunisation programmes, we are hopeful that this too will be as successful.