The government on Thursday launched a Preventive Oral Cholera Vaccination (POCV) campaign with a target to inoculate over 51 lakh people against the disease across high-risk areas of the capital and three districts.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain inaugurated the campaign as the chief guest at an auditorium of the Dhaka South City Corporation in the morning.

Under the campaign, the first dose will be administered from August 22 to September 21, while the second dose will be given from September 26 to October 25.

Vaccination will run from 8:00am to 5:00pm, covering everyone aged one year and above, excluding pregnant women.

The campaign covers 14 upazilas and thanas identified as high and very-high cholera risk zones in Dhaka's two city corporations and the districts of Kishoreganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Brahmanbaria.

Under Dhaka South City Corporation, vaccination will be carried out in Lalbagh, Gandaria, Kadamtali and Kamrangirchar thanas, while Dhaka North City Corporation's Tejgaon, Khilkhet and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thanas are also included.

Outside Dhaka, the drive covers Munshiganj Sadar, Narayanganj Sadar, Brahmanbaria Sadar and Nabinagar, and Kishoreganj's Karimganj, Hossainpur and Tarail upazilas.

Officials said both doses are mandatory for adequate protection against cholera.

The campaign is being led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and implemented by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, WHO, IFRC, icddr,b and other development and implementing partners.

Speaking at the launch, the minister said a vaccination programme achieves the highest public health impact only when it reaches as many eligible people as possible.

He urged guardians, teachers, community leaders, health workers, volunteers and the media to help ensure accurate information reaches the public and rumours are addressed properly.

Sakhawat also called for continued efforts on safe drinking water, proper food storage and preparation, handwashing, sanitation and personal hygiene, describing these, alongside vaccination, as the sustainable basis for cholera prevention and control.

Eligible citizens can register for the vaccine by visiting the website vaxepi.gov.bd or scanning a QR code and filling in the required information. Officials said the registration process will also allow citizens to create their National Health ID cards, which will support access to digital health services in future.

The government expressed gratitude to all development and implementing partners for their support.