Limited-scale booster dose drive begins
The health directorate yesterday launched the campaign for administering Covid-19 vaccine booster doses "on a limited scale" in Dhaka.
Around 120 people were jabbed on the first day in Kurmitola General Hospital from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
Other hospitals where booster shots were given are Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Shaikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, 250-bed TB Hospital in Shyamoli, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.
The total number of booster dose recipients could yet be known as no official concerned of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) could be reached for the information.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the morning, Dr Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the National Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Programme, said, "Those who have received two doses of any Covid-19 jab will get an SMS to receive the booster dose. We have sent orders to all hospitals to start administering booster shots."
Only those who have received two shots of any of the five Covid-19 vaccines among frontline workers or people aged 60 years and above will get a Pfizer, Morderna or AstraZeneca shot as booster dose, said a DGHS circular signed by Shamsul, released on December 26, 2021.
The five vaccines which have so far been used in the countrywide campaign are produced by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
Shamsul said, "A few hospitals have started administering booster doses today [yesterday] while other hospitals across the country will begin in a day or two."
On December 19, the government introduced the booster dose on trial basis by administering Pfizer vaccine to 17 frontline workers and senior citizens.
On Monday, Lokman Hossain Miah, senior secretary of the health and family welfare ministry, said they would introduce booster doses in Dhaka from Tuesday to test the Surokkha registration app.
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