Barishal’s vaccine stock to run out in nine days: officials

The stock of vaccines in Barishal division is running out quickly. According to Barishal Divisional Health Office, the vaccines would get used up in the next nine days only. 

After that, they have confirmed that no new instruction has been issued to vaccinate the rest of the citizens there.

The divisional health office told The Daily Star that out of 4,29,823 doses of vaccine that were received in Barishal division, 2,50,300 were allocated for the first dose. A total of 1,79,500 were allocated for the second dose, out of which 1,50,200 have been used till Tuesday.

"We heard about new vaccines coming in. We have not decided whether they [Barishal residents] should be given the new vaccines. With the existing vaccine, we can continue for at least nine days," said Dr Basudeb Kumar Das, director of health at Barishal Divisional Health Office.

The decision over complications caused by expiration of vaccine will come from the central level, he said.

According to the divisional health office, an average of 3,000 people are receiving the vaccine every day currently, and till filing of this report, 14,951 people have been infected with Covid-19 in the division so far, of which 12,583 have recovered and 272 have died.

Samajtantrik Chhatra Front called on all people to be vaccinated at the right time, free of charge, at a human chain in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in Barishal city on Monday. They demanded that the vaccination programme be continued even if alternative sources of vaccine were used.