2nd dose of Cholera vaccination starts in port city Sunday

The second dose of the Oral Cholera vaccine will be given to residents of Ward Nos. 38 and 39, encompassing Bandar Tila and South Halishahar under Bandar Thana of Chattogram City Corporation.

The second dose of the vaccine will be given at the same centres as the first dose. It will be available from 8:00am to 4:00pm from Sunday to Thursday.

A total of 135,323 individuals who received the first dose are eligible for the second dose.

Among these individuals, there were 15,057 males and 14,582 females under five years old, and 52,777 males and 52,807 females who were more than five years old.

Euvichol-Plus Cholera vaccine, produced by EuBiologics Co. Ltd. South Korea, will be given to individuals over one year of age.

The campaign is being led by the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), with support from the World Health Organization, EPI, the Civil Surgeon Office of Chattogram, Chattogram City Corporation, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and icddr,b.

Earlier, on 17 September, Mayor of Chattogram Freedom Fighter Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury inaugurated the oral cholera vaccination campaign.

Dr Firdausi Qadri, Acting Senior Director of the Infectious Diseases Division of icddr,b, said, “We are pleased that residents of Chattogram’s Bandar Tila and South Halishahar wards have received the first dose of oral cholera vaccine. Alongside vaccination, we strongly emphasise the importance of safe water and good hygiene practices to further safeguard against cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases.”

Professor Dr Mohammad Nazmul Islam, Director of Disease Control and Line Director of the CDC said, “I am truly happy to witness the widespread acceptance of the first cholera vaccine dose. I will urge those who received the first dose to take the second dose and complete the course. Hopefully they will be protected from cholera-related diarrhoea for next two years and more.”

Residents of Bandar Tila and South Halishahar are urged to seize this opportunity to safeguard themselves and their families from the threat of cholera.