Dispel people’s fear by taking vaccine first
Gonoshasthaya Kendra Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury yesterday urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take the Covid-19 vaccine first and dispel people's fear regarding inoculation.
One-third of the Indian population are not willing to be vaccinated although there is no need to be afraid of vaccines, he told a press conference at Gonoshasthaya Hospital in the capital's Dhanmondi.
There are concerns over proper distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, he said, adding that working class people are more exposed to viral infections and should be inoculated.
"Only those doctors who have been treating Covid-19 patients should be given the vaccine. Similarly, only the traffic police should be vaccinated… It's frustrating that those who are supposed to get the vaccine are not getting it."
The government is procuring vaccine shots at a higher rate and a private company is given the opportunity to make money, he said.
He then urged the government not to allow private companies to import vaccines before the government's free vaccination programme ends.
Private companies that have the permission to import and sell the coronavirus vaccines will increase the prices, he said.
"Dishonest businessmen [will] take the opportunity to make money by selling counterfeit vaccines."
Zafrullah requested Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal to allocate half a billion dollar for research on coronavirus vaccines.
Former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University (BSMMU) Professor Dr Nazrul Islam said the effectiveness of the imported vaccines might expire after six months.
The vaccine will create more effective antibodies than the ones created after people recover from Covid-19, he said.
Zakir Hossain, former director of Primary Health Care and Disease Control at the Directorate General of Health Services, said the vaccines will be effective against all strains of the virus.
Chairman of Pharmacology at BSMMU Dr Sayedur Rahman was also present.
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