Schools, college students to be vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna vaccines

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said students of schools and colleges will be vaccinated with  Pfizer and Moderna vaccines soon.

“I’ve met WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and he has given a nod to it [vaccination of those under 18] when we sought his advice on vaccination of student,” said the minister at a press briefing on Covid-19 vaccine at Bangladesh College of Physicians & Surgeons (BCPS) auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday.

The health minister said students between 12-17 years will be inoculated with US-produced Pfizer vaccine doses as it is suitable for them.

“We’re preparing for that. We’ve 6 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in stocks; we’ll get another four million doses soon. We’ve no crisis now.”

He also expressed the hope that the government will be able to vaccinate 8 crore people with double doses between December and January, and another 4 crore with double doses between March and April.

A total of 12 crore people will be fully vaccinated by April next, said the minister.

“Bangladesh will receive 3 crore more doses of Covid-19 vaccine in October, 3.75 crore in November, 5 crore in December and 3.75 crore in January. About 16 crore doses will be procured or collected from various sources by January.