The vaccine will work if everyone gets it

We welcome the initiative by ministers, freedom fighters, bureaucrats and eminent citizens to join the inoculation campaign and receive the first shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, which will no doubt encourage all citizens to take the vaccine. Despite the government's commendable efforts to bring the vaccine to the country and make it available through an online registration app, the response from the public has been lukewarm, forcing the government to reduce its target of vaccinating 60 lakh people to 35 lakh people in the first month. Negative propaganda regarding the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine disseminated through social media has been a major reason why people are reluctant to get the vaccine. Added to that is a lack of awareness regarding the importance of taking the vaccine and how to go about getting registered for it.

The initiative taken will no doubt help to dispel much of the fears people have regarding the vaccine. That the Health Minister himself took the vaccine is definitely an encouraging move. Chief Justice, Home Minister, Education Minister, Agriculture Minister, Fisheries and Livestock Minister, Science and Technology Minister and State Minister for Public Administration have all been vaccinated at different centres in Dhaka. Even Gonoshsthya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, also a freedom fighter, has advocated for the vaccine.

Apart from these endorsements, it is important to have nationwide campaigns to explain why it is crucial for all citizens to get vaccinated. This has to be done with the help of doctors who can debunk some of the myths surrounding the vaccine that are making the rounds. So far, most people who have received the jab have experienced mild symptoms, with a few having slightly more severe symptoms such as shivers and fever but which were mitigated within a few days. It is believed that having a fever actually means that the vaccine is working to create antibodies against the virus. People have to also be told that getting the booster shot is very important to maintain the efficacy of the vaccine and that the regular health guidelines of wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing have to be carried on.

The reasons for retaining these health guidelines are that no vaccine is 100 percent effective against infections, and it is still uncertain whether taking the vaccine prevents others from being infected. Studies are ongoing to unravel these mysteries. Meanwhile, what we do know is that there are large sections of the population who are not vaccinated, so they are vulnerable to the virus and many of them are asymptomatic carriers. Considering the devastating death toll worldwide and that the virus can mutate over time, it is absolutely crucial that the entire nation is inoculated as quickly as possible. Bangladesh is well known for its various immunisation programmes in the past. It is time to use the same efficiency of creating awareness, and distributing and administering the vaccine, so that everyone has access to it.