4th Covid shots Campaign to start soon

The government has decided to start administering fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots, Shamsul Hoque, member secretary of the vaccine deployment committee of Directorate General of Health Services, said yesterday.

"I can say firmly that we have enough vaccines in the pipeline … we will start administering the fourth dose shortly," he said at a press briefing at his office. 

He said the World Health Organisation earlier recommended vaccinating people with the fourth dose and the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group endorsed it.

Shamsul also said they would launch a week-long Covid vaccination campaign countrywide from today with a target to inoculate 90 lakh people.

"Those who have been waiting for their second shots and those for booster shots will receive their jabs during this campaign that ends on December 7."

The campaign has been divided into two phases -- publicity campaign and vaccination campaign, he said.

The publicity campaign will start first in a specific area and then the vaccination will begin there the following day, Shamsul mentioned.

The vaccination campaign will be conducted from 15,984 vaccination centres across the country, he added. Around one lakh people will be deployed to implement the vaccination.

So far, 95 percent of the population, aged between five and above, has received their first shots of Covid-19 vaccine while 80 percent has got their second jabs, Shamsul said. Besides, 52 percent of the population, aged 12 and over, has been inoculated with booster doses.

Mentioning the success of special vaccination campaign, he said, "We have administered 13 crore jabs out of total 33.27 crore through 27 days of special campaign. So, special campaign is a very much fruitful."

The government has so far collected 34.34 crore jabs. More would arrive later, Shamsul added.

Of the 2.24 lakh vaccinated children, who are aged 5-11, around 1.73 lakh have received their first doses and 9.57 lakh their second shots.

"We will arrange vaccination campaign for the remaining children," Shamsul said.