Preparation made to vaccinate one crore people on Feb 26

All necessary preparations have been taken to vaccinate one crore people with COVID-19 jabs on February 26 through 

launching a nationwide vaccination campaign, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said today.

"We will conduct the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination on February 26... a total of one crore people will receive the first dose of coronavirus vaccine," he told a press briefing at Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS), an official release said.

The health minister said Bangladesh has set a target to inoculate 90 percent people with coronavirus jabs. 

He said a total of 10,33,58,935 people have been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine with covering 86 percent people out of total population till February 20 while 7,80,19,525 received the second dose with covering 61 percent people. 

The government is launching the special February 26 vaccination drive to bring all eligible people under inoculation coverage, Maleque said. 

He urged the people to receive vaccines to protect themselves from the deadly disease and extend cooperation to make the countrywide February 26 vaccination drive a success.

Maleque said Bangladesh secured 10th position among 65 countries of the world on COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

Referring to data of different hospitals, he said, "85 deaths linked to COVID-19 are unvaccinated people."

The DGHS sources said from now on people will be allowed to receive COVID-19 vaccines without registration or any documents from any centre across the country.

"On February 26, we will complete administering the first dose of vaccination. All respective hospitals and vaccination centres have been directed to immunize coronavirus vaccine without any registration" an official of DGHS told a virtual briefing recently. 

Anyone will be able to get COVID-19 vaccine only by giving mobile number, he said, adding that, "The people, who received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine, will be given a card... this card is given as a document for receiving second or booster dose." 

Some 33,925 floating people across the country have so far received the first dose of vaccine, the official added.