Preventing Omicron: Experts for vaccination targeting vulnerable groups

To prevent the new variant Omicron that is feared to bring the third wave of coronavirus outbreak worldwide, public health experts have suggested the government speed up vaccination activities with special drives targeting the vulnerable groups – the old, the unconscious, comorbid patients, and the people living in border areas.

"The rates of vaccinated people in the rural area and the lower-income class in the city area are comparatively low. The imbalance in inoculation can fuel any new variant to spread fast, as well as can spawn a new variant," Dr M Mushtuq Husain, adviser of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told The Business Standard.

In case of an Omicron outbreak in the country, the people jabbed with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine would to some extent remain in a safe zone, he believes.

The health expert urged the government to vaccinate elderly people, comorbid patients having other diseases at a time, and people living in border areas risky to the new variant transmission, with special campaigns as early as possible.

According to the health directorate, the mortality rates were higher among the people aged 55-60, comorbid patients, and residents of border districts.

Though the authorities so far conducted some special campaigns for the lower-earning groups or slum area people, it did not plan separately for the vulnerable groups, which was imperative to prevent any further large-scale disaster.

The health authorities in two phases in September and November vaccinated around 1.77 crore people in the capital's slum areas.

Prof Dr Sayedur Rahman, chairman of the Pharmacology Department at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said, "The government's vaccination policy has some discrimination."

"The discrimination emerged as the authorities did not take sufficient initiative to make interested the old and poor people, who were at high risk to Covid-19, in taking vaccines and ensure enough shots for them," he told TBS.

Mentioning that casualties were higher among the elderly people, the professor noted that around one crore of them were yet to receive the vaccines.

Besides, border area people were at higher risks to contract Omicron like the previous time of Delta, as neighbouring India already found the new variant-infected patients.

Dr Sayedur Rahman called for launching vaccination drives targeting the elderly, rural area people, and those living in border districts. He also suggested free test facilities for the border people.

In the last June-July, bordering districts Rajshahi, Chapai Nawabganj, Khulna saw a big hit in the healthcare system due to the rapid surge in delta variant spread. The wounded districts have not been vaccinated on a priority basis.

Firstly, identified in South Africa, the Omicron variant shows lots of different mutations that have not been seen before. So far, the world could know very little about the variant's acts or how much of a threat it could be. But on paper, it looks worrying.

Scientists are concerned that Omicron could spread more easily than previous variants and evade the protection from vaccines to some extent, but it is not confirmed on the ground yet.

Experts fear if the variant comes to the country, it can claim much more deaths, and make the healthcare system collapse. To prevent Bangladesh from such a feared situation, they repeatedly urged the authorities to boost up vaccination, targeting the vulnerable.

Vaccination situation

A total of 6.37 crore or 37.4% people in the country received at least a dose of the vaccines, while 3.75 crore or 22.4% got the second doses, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

Currently, around 10 lakh doses are being jabbed every day, it said, adding that some 1 crore people are waiting for their shots, being registered with "Surokkha".

Professor Nazmul Islam, spokesperson of the DGHS told TBS that process to get vaccinated was easier now. "We are providing vaccines at community clinics also. People can get vaccines with prior registration or on-spot registration."

He said they would launch more special drives with the increased stock of the jabs.

Six more die

Bangladesh reported six more deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours till 8am Saturday. 

Besides, 176 more people tested positive for the virus during the same period. 

The current positivity rate was reported at 1.07% after 16,428 samples were tested across the country. 

The country reported three deaths and 243 cases on Friday.

With the latest additions, the death toll reached 27,995 and the case tally increased to 1,577,246 in the country.