Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) today urged countrymen to ensure children's wellbeing by vaccinating them on time.

Expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) is on across the country under the supervision of health ministry and DGHS as per the instruction of the prime minister, said Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of the DGHS.

The programme is being conducted as per the guideline of World Health Organization (WHO) amid the coronavirus pandemic, she said while briefing media online.

The procedure has started of singling out and vaccinating the children who were left out of the programme due to the virus outbreak.

The programme will also be conducted in the areas under lockdown or restrictions in collaboration with the local authorities, Nasima added.

Enough vaccines and logistics are in stock to help the EPI sessions go smoothly, she said adding local mosques were also making announcements regarding the programme in order to make people aware ahead of the sessions.

The DGHS's call for vaccination came a day after Unicef, in a report, said that in the worst-case scenario, Bangladesh could see the additional deaths of 28,000 children in the next six months due to the disruption of immunisation, nutrition and other vital health services.

As per the Unicef report, the lives of about 4.59 lakh children and mothers in South Asian countries are in danger as they are deprived of vital health services due to the coronavirus pandemic.