Covid vaccination: Special drive today to jab 75 lakh people

A special nationwide campaign to inoculate 75 lakh people with the second and booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will take place today, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

The day-long campaign is being launched to help constrict the recent spike in infection rates, he added.

He made the announcement at the health directorate headquarters at noon.

Those who received their second jabs at least four months ago can now get their booster dose. While those who took the first dose at least 28 days ago can get their second jab.

The jabs will be provided to those aged 18 and above.

For the campaign, 16,181 centres will be operational in all public hospitals, wards in city corporations and municipality areas, the minister said, adding that 33,246 health workers and 49,869 volunteers will be working across the country.

"The country currently has a stock of around 2.78 crore shots of five types of Covid-19 vaccines."

Meanwhile, the government is preparing for a vaccination campaign for children aged 5-11, the minister also said.

"The primary action plan already has been framed. Now, [other] necessary preparations are underway."

Meanwhile, seven more Covid-19 patients died in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, said a press release from the Directorate General of Health Services.

During the same period, 1,072 people tested positive for the infection after 10,974 samples were tested across the country.

The positivity rate stood at 9.77 percent.

With the latest, the total number of deaths rose to 29,241.