Mass Vaccination Resumes in Ctg Today: Over a lakh 2nd dose seekers still in limbo
The mass vaccination programme is set to resume from today in Chattogram.
On Sunday, Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, civil surgeon of Chattogram, received 1,05,600 doses of Moderna vaccine and 78,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from the government. The vaccines have been kept at the EPI store at the civil surgeon office, said sources in the office.
However, there's still anxiety among people. Over one lakh of them who had received the first dose of their Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine three to four months ago are still waiting for the second dose.
"The government is assuring us on the media that they have managed enough AstraZeneca vaccine for our second doses but that is yet to come in reality," said Sheikh Md Ledu, a resident of the city's Rahattarpool area.
Ledu had received his first dose of the vaccine in March and is waiting for the second dose.
"We were told the second dose should be received within two months of the first, but it's now been more than four months and I'm yet to get mine," he said.
A total of 453,760 people received the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in Chattogram. Of them, around 115,000 are yet to get their second.
Dr Asif Khan, deputy civil surgeon of Chattogram, assured that everyone who received the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca will get their second dose.
"The government is trying get Oxford-AstraZaeneca vaccine from various. sources. We expect we will get it soon," he said.
Meanwhile, the vaccination would start in 11 centres including Chattogram General Hospital, Chattogram Medical College Hospital and Chattogram City Corporation General Hospital in the city along with 14 upazila health complexes, said sources.
The Moderna vaccines will be administered in centres across the port city while Sinopharm vaccines will be administered in the upazilas, said the civil surgeon.
"Expatriates can also receive vaccines as per the instructions of their host countries," said Dr Rabbi. "However, if an expatriate needs the Pfizer vaccine, they must go to Dhaka for it as it's not administered outside the capital."
On June 18, the district had received a total of 91,200 doses of Sinopharm vaccines, but they were reserved for medical students and people who registered to get vaccinated at Chattogram Medical College Hospital's (CMCH) centre.
This caused somewhat of an unrest among people at the time, but Dr Rabbi said they could not go for mass vaccination then as they had received an inadequate supply.
"As the sinopharm vaccine course is double-dose, we have to reserve half of the stock for the second dose," he said. "With Sunday's supply, we finally have a sufficient stock."
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