Booster Dose Activities through Surokkha App to Start from 28th Dec

Vaccination activities are not starting through the Surokkha app at the moment. The ICT ministry has taken time till December 28. From then on, the booster dose program will start through the app, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque.

The minister was speaking at the inaugural function of the Covid-19 vaccine booster dose program at the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) auditorium in Mohakhali on Sunday (December 19).

The Health Minister said that our booster dose vaccination program has started from today. We have been able to start vaccination activities before many countries. Although I could not finish the preparation completely. But now those who want to get vaccinated can get vaccinated through vaccination card. At the same time normal vaccination activities will continue.

Zahid Maleque said, "We are vaccinating people of different classes and professions." We are vaccinating the general public, school children. Besides, we are vaccinating all the front line fighters, doctors, nurses, health workers, police, army and journalists against coronavirus.

He said the country is safe as a result of the vaccine. The number of deaths is in one digit. Yesterday's detection came below one percent, which is very rare in such a populous country. Everyone is cooperating. Everyone deserves to be vaccinated.

He said that in order to give booster dose, we will need 4.3 million doses of Pfizer vaccine by January. We have 6 million doses. Next month we will get another 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccine.

"At the moment, we have 4.63 crore vaccines and by the end of December, we will get another 6.5 crore vaccines," he said. At the beginning of 2022, we will get another 90 million vaccines. By March, we will have 16 crore 85 lakh vaccines. We will need 13 crore doses of vaccine to vaccinate 70% of the people by mid-April. But we will have 16 crore 85 lakh in stock. It can be said that there will be no shortage of vaccines.

In response to a question from reporters, the minister said, "We have given several types of vaccines. Such as- Sinopharm, Pfizer, Moderna etc." We have given these in accordance with the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO). We will also give booster doses in accordance with WHO protocol. At an early stage we will vaccinate Pfizer. The WHO says those who have received other vaccines will also be able to take the Pfizer vaccine as a booster. We've heard that Moderna can also be given as a booster dose. We also have moderna vaccines in stock.