The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) for newborns resumed in Chattogram yesterday after remaining halted for almost five months amid a shortage of vaccines.

Under the programme, newborns are being provided with Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and Pentavalent vaccine, which are essential for them to develop immunity against life-threatening diseases.

The resumption came with much relief to parents in Chattogram who have been worried for months regarding immunisation of their children.

Akmal Hossain, a resident of the city's Halishahar area, said after nearly five months he was able to get his child vaccinated with the prescribed dose of PCV and Pentavalent vaccines yesterday.

"After my daughter was born in November last year, she was given the first dose of all EPI vaccines. However, since January, I could not get her second dose even after visiting different vaccination centres," he said.

Shampa Chakraborty, a resident of Sadarghat area of port city, said she was worried as her child, born in February, was yet to receive the first dose of Pentavalent vaccine and PCV.

Speaking to many parents yesterday, it was known that they were able to get their children vaccinated at different vaccination centres.

Mentionable, the Pentavalent vaccine protects a child against five life-threatening diseases -- diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis-B and Haemophilus influenzae type-B.

On the other hand, PVC protects a child from pneumonia.

Dr Basana Muhuri, former professor of child health department at Chittagong Medical College, said, "In Bangladesh, we keep an interval of at least 28 days between each dose of these vaccines, but in developed countries there is a two-month gap between the doses."

"If the interval is longer than two months, there is concern that the child may not develop sufficient immunity against those diseases," she said.

Vaccination centres in the port city are run by the Chattogram City Corporation.

Dr Imam Hossain Rana, chief health officer of CCC, said, "We faced some problems due to shortage of vaccine supply from the civil surgeon's office since February."

They informed us that there was a nationwide shortage of vaccines, he said.

"With the vaccine supply that we currently have, a week-long vaccination programme can be carried out on a large scale," Dr Imam added.

Dr Elias Chowdhury, civil surgeon of Chattogram, said, "Although there was a little problem in the past few months, the vaccination programme began from today (Saturday) in full swing."

"Since the EPI vaccines are not produced in Bangladesh, we have to bring those from abroad through different processes. Sometimes complications arise, causing delay in the process," he added.