ZCZC
BSS-46
COVID-19-VACCINE-MALEQUE LEAD
People receive COVID-19 vaccines spontaneously: Maleque
(updates with more information)
DHAKA, Jan 28, 2021 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid
Maleque today said people received COVID-19 vaccines spontaneously ignoring
rumors spread by different quarters.
“All sorts of rumors have been proved false as all the vaccine receivers
are well,” he said while visiting different vaccination booths at Dhaka
Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU)
and Mugda Medical College Hospital here, an official release said.
State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Secretary of Health
Service Division Abdul Mannan and Vice Chancellor of BSMMU Prof. Dr. Kanak
Kanti Barua received COVID-19 vaccine at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University this morning. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque,
among others, was present during the vaccination drive.
Later, the health minister visited Dhaka Medical College Hospital while
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Head of Surgery Department
of DMCH ABM Jamal were vaccinated there.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the COVID-19 vaccination
campaign at Kurmitola General Hospital through videoconferencing from her
official Ganabhaban residence yesterday (January 27).
Over 600 medical professionals of five hospitals — Kurmitola General
Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, Mugda Medical
College and Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) — were immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine
today (January 28).
They (vaccine receivers) will be observed for seven days. After the end of
their seven-day observation, other listed people will be vaccinated during
the nationwide vaccination campaign.
The countrywide vaccination drive is set to begin on February 7, the
health ministry sources said.
Bangladesh received its first ever COVID-19 vaccine consignment on January
21 (Thursday) as India sent 20 lakh doses of vaccine developed by the
University of Oxford and AstraZeneca as gift.
The first consignment of COVID-19 50 lakh Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines
purchased by the government landed in Dhaka on January 25. The total vaccine
doses stand at 70 lakh doses now.
The possible vaccine recipients as per the priority list are 452,027
government health workers and 600,000 approved private health workers
directly engaged in the Covid-19 health services.
The other priority groups include – 210,000 freedom fighters, 546,620
members of the frontline law enforcement agencies, 360,913 members from the
military and civil defense forces, 50,000 officials and employees working in
the offices which are indispensable for governing the state, 50,000 frontline
media personnel, 178,298 elected representatives, 150,000 frontline employees
of the city corporations and pourasabhas, 541,000 religious representatives,
75,000 people engaged in funeral works, 400,000 staff engaged in emergency
water, gas, sewerage, power, fire service and transport services.
Besides, 150,000 workers of land, river and air ports, 120,000 expatriate
unskilled workers, 400,000 government employees engaged in district and
upazila-level emergency public services, 197,621 officials and employees of
banks, 625,000 low immunity people (tuberculosis, AIDS and cancer patients),
10,326,658 elderly people from the 64-79 age group, 1,312,973 elderly people
from the 80-plus age group, 21,863 players of the national teams (including
football, cricket and hockey national teams) and 170,000 people from buffer,
emergency and outbreak groups are included in the list.
BSS/PR/MMR/ARS/2039 hrs