Covid-19 booster dose campaign to resume this week

The government will resume the Covid-19 booster dose campaign across the country from this week, said Health Minister Zahed Maleque today.

The booster dose (third and fourth shots) campaign against Covid-19 remained suspended from March 2 after its stock ran out.

The minister said already 30 lakh doses of variant containing vaccines (VCV) under COVAX facilities reached Bangladesh and it will be administered as 3rd and 4th dose to the people from this week in all city corporations, districts, upazilas and municipality levels across the country.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Secretariat in the afternoon, Maleque said about 88.51 percent people have been administered the first dose while 82.18 percent were given second dose.

Only 39.62 percent of people took the 3rd dose while only 1.85 percent received the 4th dose, he said.

There are no side effects in VCV vaccination and the World Health Organisation (WHO) also gave a positive opinion about it, he said.

The 3rd dose will be administered to people above 18 years while the 4th dose will be given to the people above 60 years or people who have been suffering from long-term diseases, pregnant women and frontline fighters, he said.

The 3rd dose will be given after four months of receiving the second dose while the 4th dose will be given four months after receiving the 3rd dose, he added.