Covid booster dose for all above 40: Health Minister

The government has again lowered the age limit -- to 40 -- for booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

"From now on, people aged 40 and above will be able to get a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine," Health Minister Zahid Maleque said at a press conference at the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Dhaka today.

Besides, all children aged 12 and above will be given the vaccines, he said.

So far, 9.70 crore people have received the first dose and of them, six crore have received second dose.

"We have expanded the vaccine coverage up to ward level. But many are still not getting jabbed," the minister said urging people to take the vaccine soon.

The minister said the Covid-19 situation is becoming grimmer in the country due to the violation of health safety guidelines.

"The real number of infections is multiple times higher than detected. If this continues, the daily death toll will rise to 60 or more," the minister warned.