Entire population can’t be vaccinated at once, please be patient: health minister
Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said that Bangladesh cannot vaccinate its entire population at once.
"People need to be patient," he said, adding, "We are gradually vaccinating everyone. Millions have already registered."
He came up with the remarks at a programme, tilted "Challenges of Covid Pandemic and Dengue Outbreak", organised by Bangladesh Society of Medicine in association with US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, around 2 pm in Dhaka.
Bangladesh can neither obtain nor store all the vaccines needed to inoculate 80 percent of its total population at once, he said.
"In order to vaccinate 80 percent of the population, 26-27 crore vaccine doses will be needed. We are trying to bring whatever quantity of vaccine doses available," he said.
"We want to reduce the death rate," said the minister, urging everyone to be more aware of health safety rules. "We have to protect ourselves. Crowded buses and trains will only make the situation worse. Then the infection rate will go up again," he said. "The situation will be grave if transmission can't be controlled. Our death toll will rise."
"The world's largest states have developed and stockpiled vaccines. They have stocked four to five times more vaccines than they need. At the same time there are many countries where the vaccine has not reached yet," the minister said.
"Those who are always criticising, ask where vaccines are when we have less of it. They also ask why large number of people turn up to get jabs when vaccines are available. It seems, either way, they have problems with it," the health minister said, adding, "It's very easy to criticise."
Comments