Vaccination underway in festive mood across country

The special vaccination campaign aiming to inoculate 75 lakh people against Covid-19 on the occasion of the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is underway in a joyous mood across the country. 

People aged above 25 years, who have already registered for the vaccine, will be inoculated with the first dose during the campaign and the second dose will be given next month.

The vaccination campaign is being conducted in 87 centres in Satkhira district from 9 am and will continue to 4 pm. 

Satkhira Civil Surgeon Dr Md Hussain Safayat said, "In the 78 union parishads and nine wards of Satkhira municipality 1,21,000 doses will be administered - including 1500 doses in each union and 500 doses in each municipality - to those only who registered beforehand."

"The supply of vaccine is much less compared to the demand," said Municipal Councilor Kaisaruzzaman Himel adding that a big number of people are coming to get vaccinated although the scenario was different earlier.  

GM Masudul Alam, chairman of Gabura Union Parishad in Shyamnagar upazila made similar comments about the campaign.

"15,000 vaccines are being provided to each upazilas. The campaign will continue till tomorrow due to bad weather," said Shyamnagar Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Ajoy Kumar Saha.

"People, however, seemed to ignore health guidelines at the vaccination centres," he added.

Atiqur Rahman Apel, the owner of a house being used as a vaccination centre at ward no 4 in Pabna's Demra union, said "Locals are spontaneously coming in large numbers to get vaccinated since morning while woman candidate turnout was significantly higher."

He said, "Initially the plan was to inoculate 200 people between 9am and 2pm but under the current scenario it may extend up to 4pm."

Reportedly, three centres in the union will administer 1,500 shots out of which more than 900 jabs were administered by 1pm.

A festive mood centring vaccine campaign was reported in Brahmanbaria as well. The inoculation is being carried out at 110 temporary centres in the district. 

Although the drive began at 9 am, enthusiastic candidates started to gather at the centres since 6am. Women were evidently more interested in being vaccinated.

According to the Civil Surgeon's Office, 1,53,000 doses of vaccine will be administered in the district. In the district town, 12 centres have been set up and 98 in upazilas. A total of 306 booths have been set up in the centres. Each booth will give out 500 doses. Elderly people are also being given priority in this campaign.

Brahmanbaria Civil Surgeon Dr Md Ekram Ullah said, "The vaccination is going on in an orderly manner. This time the campaign is not being held at educational institutions as they are no longer available for that."

In the capital, the two city corporations reported different scenarios.

Most of the centres under DSCC started today at 9am and will continue till 3pm, while centres under DNCC will begin after 2.30pm.   

According to DNCC sources, each of the 54 vaccination centres at 54 wards under the city corporation area will administer a total of 1,000 shots in two days (28-29 September), starting from 2.30pm.

At 9.30am, the TBS correspondent saw 20-25 people waiting for the vaccine at Provati Uchya Biddyaniketon centre.

Vaccine candidate Iddis Alam, who hasn't received the confirmation message after registering on the Surokkha app on 6 August, told TBS "No one at the centre knows when the vaccine will be administered although I heard it will begin at 9am."

Meanwhile, Nahid Chowdhury, a teacher at Provati Uchya Biddyaniketon, said "Educational activities in the school are underway as we were not given any instruction in this regard."

Another candidate, Nurul Islam, expressed annoyance over this delay and asked, "How will working people like us who has to go to work by 10am will get the vaccine?"

Meanwhile, the campaign at the Kalabagan Thana Community Centre in DSCC ward no 16 started today at 9am and will continue till 3pm, according to volunteers.

Volunteer Tariqul Islam told TBS, "The pressure at the centre is much less than before but many of those who are coming in are not aware of the fact that they will have to register first."

Vaccine aspirant Md Farooq Hasan said, "Previously during the mass vaccination campaign I had to go back several times without being jabbed due to overcrowded centres. However, today I didn't need to wait for a long time."

"Thanks to the occasion of prime minister's birthday that I was able to get vaccinated within just 10 minutes, otherwise I might not have stood in line for a jab under regular vaccination programme," said Masuma Akter, a vaccine recipient.

Meanwhile, vaccine administrators at Hatirpool centre in Dhaka South City Corporation's ward no 18 said that anyone who walks in before 5 pm will be jabbed with the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Md Munjurul Alam, a vaccine candidate, told The Business Standard, "I got jabbed within 20 minutes of standing in line as there is not as much pressure here as before."

Volunteer MD Samiul Islam at the vaccination centre said, "Anyone over the age of 60 years can get inoculated today after showing NID card but it won't be the case for those who are yet to be registered."

Earlier on 26 September, Health Minister Zahid Maleque announced the special vaccination campaign at a virtual press conference organised by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

He said the campaign will continue until the target is achieved.

According to Zahid Maleque, approximately 6,000 vaccination centres across the country will administer the doses, the majority of which will be of Sinopharm.

The minister informed the media that the vaccination campaign will be held at 4,000 union parishads, 1,054 municipalities and 443 city corporation wards.

As part of the programme, three booths have been set up in each union, one booth in the municipality and three booths in the city corporation wards. Some 32,706 health workers are taking part in the vaccination campaign. Besides, more than 48,459 volunteers will help in the vaccination programme.

The health minister requested special cooperation from the political leaders, dignitaries and media personnel to make the vaccination programme a success.

During the special campaign, priority would be given to those who registered for vaccination before but did not get vaccinated. In the first two hours, priority will be given to women over 40 years of age and people from remote areas.

People who have not registered will also be allowed to receive the jab if they bring their national identity cards, however, pregnant women and lactating mothers will not be vaccinated during today's campaign.

At present, 1.90 crore people in the country are awaiting vaccination after completing registration.