Covid vaccine stock in districts about to finish soon

The second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has become uncertain for about 15 lakh people in different districts who have taken their first jab as there are only 7 lakh doses in stock and the government has not been able to collect the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The stock will be exhausted in the next two or three days and vaccination will stop at the district level.

According to the Department of Health, 95 lakh doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine out of 1.02 crore have been administered so far. More than 58 lakh people have taken their first doses of the vaccine and more than 35 lakh people have taken their second one.

Due to the vaccine crisis, the administering of the first dose has been stopped since 26 April.

Professor Sharfuddin Ahmed, the vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said the country's largest vaccine centre BSMMU has stocks of vaccines up to the third week of this month.

He said, "If there is no new consignment of vaccines, about 8,000 people who took the first dose at our centre will not get the second dose.

"But, the second dose can be taken even after 12 weeks of the first dose, and the vaccine is expected to be available by then."

The situation is similar at other vaccine centres in the country and there have been protests in Chattogram over the non-availability of vaccines.

Due to the crisis of vaccines in Chattogram, only those who have received SMS are requested to go to vaccine centres.

Chattogram Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle Rabbi made the request in a video message posted on the Facebook page of the Civil Surgeon's Office on Monday morning. 

In the video, he said, "We will continue our activities till Eid with the vaccine we have. As you know, the second dose of the vaccine has been supplied for only 70% of the first dose recipients and this policy applies to the whole country. Of those who took the first dose, about 16 lakh are not getting the second dose at present.

"We hope that we will be able to complete the second dose when the new vaccine arrives after Eid. At this moment, we will request only those who get the SMS to come to the vaccine centre. I am telling those who are not getting the vaccine at the moment to be patient. They will get vaccinated. We have been reassured by the highest levels of government."

According to the Civil Surgeon's Office, the second dose of the vaccine has been given in Chattogram from 8 April. About 1.5 lakh vaccine recipients who have received the first dose have not yet received the second dose. But the Chattogram health department has only 27,380 doses in stock.

In Khulna, 60,000 people who took the first dose could not get the second dose. Currently, only 2-3 days of second dose vaccine is available. 

Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr Niaz Mohammad said one lakh eight thousand people have received the second dose of vaccine in the district including Khulna metropolis. Currently, there is a shortage of about 60,000 dose vaccines, which will continue only 2-3 days after Eid. 

It will not be possible to vaccinate anyone again until a new vaccine is available, he added.

Khulna Divisional Health Director Dr Rasheda Sultana said that at present there is a crisis of 2.5 lakh second dose vaccine in the Khulna division.

Barishal division is facing a shortage of corona vaccine. The second doge would not be fulfilled If the new vaccine doge arrived according to the information of the Divisional Health office. 

The first doge has been injected among 2,53,300 people while the second has been given among 147200, said Bashu Dev Kumar Das, the divisional director of the Health and Family Planning office, Barishal. 

The division has remained 34000 doge vaccine for the second time but 105000 people would be out of vaccination if the more second doges do not arrive soon, he added.

The second dose vaccination is continuing but it might not be continued for a long time.

In Sylhet, no one is being vaccinated for the second dose without a mobile phone message. However, many people are not getting vaccinated even after showing the message. There are 2,000 doses of vaccine in Sylhet city and about 7,000 doses of vaccine in the district outside the city. The stocks will be finished in two to three days, the sources said.

Another 15,000 doses of vaccine are needed in Sylhet city to complete the second dose of those who took the first one.

Covid-19 vaccination has been announced again in Bogura after being closed for four consecutive days. Doses of these vaccines have been collected from the upazila level. Only those who receive SMS on mobile will be given the second dose.

According to the District Civil Surgeon's Office, vaccination activities at the 250-bed Mohammad Ali Hospital, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital and Police Lines Hospital in Bogura Sadar have been declared closed since 6 May after the stock ran out. The programme will resume on 11 May 11. Vaccination will continue until Wednesday.

Bangladesh is administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced at the Serum Institute of India, since 7 February. People are receiving the jab at 1,005 centres across the country every day except holidays.

As per a deal with India's Serum Institute and Beximco, out of three crore doses of vaccine, the Bangladesh government was supposed to get 50 lakh doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine every month. Bangladesh received 70 lakh doses in two shipments so far under the deal. The vaccine consignment scheduled for March has not come yet, and there is uncertainty about availing the supply of May. 

Professor ABM Khurshid Alam, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services said that there is a crisis of vaccines. Personal and official contacts are being made with various countries, including the United States, to import the AstraZeneca vaccine to ensure the second dose. We are trying our best to get the vaccine. However, no response has been received yet.

He added that the Chinese vaccine will come soon. The country is also preparing to produce Chinese and Russian vaccines.