DHAKA, Feb 23, 2021 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid
Maleque today said the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine is set to begin on
April 7 as the countrywide vaccination campaign was launched on February 7.
“As per WHO (World Health Organization) guideline, the second dose of
COVID-19 vaccine has to be administered after eight weeks of the first dose,”
he told a meeting at his ministry here, an official release said.
Secretary of the Health Service Division Md Abdul Mannan, Secretary of
Health Education Division Md Ali Noor, Director General of Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam
and heads of different relevant organizations of the health ministry, among
others, were present at the meeting.
The health minister said a total of 36,46,970 people have so far been
registered to receive COVID-19 vaccines as the vaccination campaign was
launched on January 27.
As of February 22, the number of vaccine receivers is 23,08,157, he said,
adding 15,18,715 are male and 7,89,442 female.
“Each person needs to be vaccinated with two doses… the second dose will
be given after eight weeks,” Maleque added.
People aged 40 years and above now can get registered to receive COVID-19
vaccines, the health ministry sources said.
According to earlier decision of the government, people aged 55 years and
above were only eligible for taking vaccines but the decision has been
revised a day after launching of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination
campaign on February 7.
The vaccination drive was conducted at 50 hospitals in Dhaka city and 1005
hospitals outside the capital today, the DGHS said, adding the immunization
programme will begin at 8am and it will continue till 2.30 pm every day.
But some hospitals will continue the vaccination programme throughout the
day, the health official said.