Typhoid vaccine to join routine EPI programme from 1 August
Until now, parents had to purchase the typhoid vaccine privately, as it was not included in the government's routine immunisation programme.
Children aged 15 months will receive a single dose of the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) under Bangladesh's routine Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) from 1 August, according to a directive issued by the programme today (13 July).
The vaccine will be administered during the same session as the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR-2) vaccine.
Until now, parents had to purchase the typhoid vaccine privately, as it was not included in the government's routine immunisation programme.
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According to the directive, the decision follows the successful nationwide TCV campaign conducted in 2025, which covered the vast majority of eligible children.
The inclusion of TCV in the routine EPI schedule was approved following recommendations made by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (Nitag) Bangladesh on 8 December last year and endorsed by the Inter-agency Coordination Committee (ICC) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Under the new guidelines, all children aged 15 months will receive one dose of TCV through permanent and outreach EPI centres across the country. The vaccine will be administered intramuscularly in the left thigh.
Field workers have been instructed to prepare lists of eligible children in their respective areas and conduct household visits before vaccination sessions to identify beneficiaries.
To strengthen digital immunisation management, health workers have also been directed to register children through the VaxEPI app, ensure vaccine cards are downloaded, and update records by scanning the cards into the Smart Health BD/E-Tracker system after vaccination.
The directive said TCV will be supplied in five-dose vials and must be stored and transported at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C. As the vaccine contains a preservative, opened vials may be reused in subsequent sessions under the Multi-Dose Vial Policy (MDVP), subject to prescribed conditions, to minimise wastage.
The programme has also instructed health authorities to include TCV-related data in the DHIS2 reporting system.
To increase public awareness, the EPI has asked local representatives, teachers, imams, religious and community leaders to support the campaign through household visits, public announcements, courtyard meetings and interpersonal communication activities.
In October 2025, the government administered the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine for the first time through a nationwide campaign, vaccinating more than 4 crore 25 lakh children aged between nine months and under 15 years.
