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- PM launches Covishield test run ahead of mass vaccine rollout
DHAKA: Hundreds of Bangladeshi health workers will be inoculated at government hospitals in Dhaka ahead of the country’s rollout of the Covishield coronavirus vaccine produced in India.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the “dry run” for the nationwide vaccination campaign in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.
Bangladesh on Monday received 5 million doses of Covishield, the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India. On Tuesday, the country’s drug regulator approved the treatment for use in the immunization campaign targeting 166 million people from Feb. 7.
Another 25 million doses are expected to arrive in Bangladesh in the coming months following a purchase order made by the government in November.
On Jan. 21, Bangladesh received 2 million Covishield doses as part of “vaccine diplomacy” by India, which has distributed 7 million doses among friendly countries, including the Maldives, Bhutan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
About 700 health workers will receive their jabs on Thursday and will be observed for one week before the countrywide vaccine rollout.
“We will observe them for one week to trace any side effects. It will help the authorities to determine necessary preparations before launching the vaccine drive across the country,” Prof. Dr. Nasima Sultana, additional director-general of the Directorate General of Health Services, told Arab News.
Sultana, who was one of the five people who received their jabs during the launch ceremony on Wednesday, said that government-run hospitals handling the rollout will intervene immediately if any side effects are seen.
“Initially we will conduct the inoculation drive at all government-run health complexes at district and subdistrict level. Evaluating the outcome of this process gradually, we will expand the vaccination drive to grassroots level,” she said.
Authorities have prepared 294 teams at 45 healthcare centers in the capital and another 6,431 teams at 5,268 centers across the country for the February vaccination drive.
The government has launched the Surokhha app for people to register for vaccination free of charge.
While optimistic about the campaign, health experts urge caution since the vaccine has been approved for emergency use, which means that its producer is exempted from liability if side effects occur.
“The vaccine will provide immunity against COVID-19 for three months. After one year, we will know how long the immunity sustains,” Dr. Mohammad Mushtaq Hussain, adviser to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research, told Arab News.
“For having an upgraded version of the vaccine, we need to wait for the next generation batch, since the research and development is a continuous process,” he said.
Adherence to health guidelines is essential since research shows the vaccine is ineffective in about 10 percent of those who receive it, he added.
Others expressed hope that the government has an appropriate strategy for the immunization campaign amid the health emergency.
“It’s not important how quickly Bangladesh completes vaccinating its population but how effectively it can cover the total population with proper strategic planning,” Prof. Muzaherul Huq, former World Health Organization regional adviser, told Arab News.
“Emergency management facility is a must where inoculation takes place,” he said. “Bangladesh should have a strategic inoculation plan which will cover every detail without missing a single eligible person.”