March 28, 2024, 3:41 pm


Staff Correspondent

Published:
2021-07-24 16:06:29 BdST

Age limit for corona vaccine to be 18: DGHS DG


Any Bangladeshi citizen who is at least 18 years old or above would be able to receive coronavirus or Covid-19 vaccine as the government has decided in this regard.

The premier has instructed to this end and the decision would be implemented soon.

Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), made the remarks while replying to a question of a journalist after visiting corona patients at Mugda Medical College Hospital in the capital on Friday.

The DGHS DG said the government is also thinking of expanding the vaccination programme to the village level. “The government is planning whether the corona vaccines can be given to rural people in the same way they receive other vaccines.”

“If this decision is implemented, then people will be able to get the vaccine doses by showing the national identity cards and the vaccination cards, and then there’ll be no need for registration,” he added.

On July 18, the government decided to lower the age limit to 30 years from 35 for Covid vaccination.

Over four percent of the country's population has so far been vaccinated since the government launched the mass vaccination programme on February 7 last by administering Covishield.

On April 25, the government had to suspend the first dose of the vaccine campaign due to a shortage of jabs.

However, the vaccination drive resumed this month with the arrival of Sinopharm, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Replying to a question, Prof Khurshid said the government has preparations to deal with the pressure of the growing number of Covid patients.

He said field hospitals can be set up in different districts to ensure the treatment of virus-infected people.

The DG said the outcome of the 14-day strict lockdown enforced by the government on Friday will be visible a few days later.

He, however, said the virus infections have comparatively decreased now in the frontier areas.

Prof Khurshid said they are taking steps for exporting oxygen from India as the country’s current oxygen demand is 200 tonnes per day.

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