The nationwide daylong Covid-19 vaccination campaign began this morning (July 19, 2022) to expedite inoculation and combat the outbreak of the deadly virus.

"The government has decided to observe the nationwide vaccination for expanding booster dose coverage across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus," Health Minister Zahid Maleque told a press conference virtually at Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) yesterday (July 18, 2022).

"People aged 18 and above will be eligible for receiving Covid-19 booster doses during the daylong campaign ...They (eligible people) will be given booster doses after completing four months," he added.

The government has set a target to inoculate 75 lakh people under booster and second doses during the daylong drive, the minister added.

Maleque said as part of controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has brought 76.05 percent people under first dose of vaccination coverage, 70.3 percent under second dose while 17.9 percent people were brought under the booster dose coverage.

Bangladesh has been lauded globally for expansion of vaccination coverage which eventually has helped the countrymen to protect from the lethal virus, he said, adding, "Five types of Covid-19 vaccines -- Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Janssen -- are now available in the country. We have 2.76 crore vaccines in stock."

The government has set up 16,181 vaccination centres across the country, the health minister said, adding, "As many as 623 are permanent vaccination centres while 15,558 are temporary, to conduct the nationwide campaign." He said in order to inoculate targeted people, a total of 33,246 health workers will perform their duties during the campaign while some 49,869 volunteers will extend their services to make the vaccination drive a success.

Vaccination centres have been set at all public hospitals, specialised hospitals, health complexes, city corporations, pouroshovas, upazila and unions parishads. As of July 18, a total of 27,97,68,106 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including booster doses, were administered while the countrywide vaccination campaign was launched on February 7, last year.