Health Minister Zahid Maleque
2nd round of mega Covid vaccination drive extended until April 3: Health Minister
The second round of mega Covid vaccination drive without any registration has been extended by three more days until April 3, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday.
The minister made the announcement while handing Health Minister’s National Award 2020 at the city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
Read: Bangladesh sees 73 new Covid cases, no death
“To tackle the Covid-19 situation, so far 13 crore first doses and 11 crore second doses of vaccines have been administered bringing 96% of the targeted population under the campaign,“ said Minister Maleque.
“We still have five crore vaccine doses in stock and have six crore more in pipeline. We have decided to extend the mass vaccination program to bring the remaining people under the campaign,” he said.
Lockdown will return if Covid restrictions violated: Health Minister
The Bangladesh government has warned that it'll be forced to impose a full lockdown in the country if people fail to adhere to the recently issued Covid-19 restrictions.
"We urge all the people of this country to abide by the recently issued 11-point Covid-19 guidlines," Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Saturday.
"If these instructions are followed, there will be no need for a lockdown in the country. If another lockdown is imposed, people and the country will face losses again," he said.
He, however, made it clear that the government could impose a complete lockdown in Bangladesh "if these guidelines are not followed".
The Health Minister was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration function of a CT scan and Dialysis unit at Manikganj General Hospital in the morning.
Amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of to coronavirus, the government on January 13 came out with the restrictions on movement of people and public transport vehicles.
Read:Don’t leave your workplaces: Health Minister to expats
Covid booster doses to start within 7-10 days: Minister
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Wednesday said the drive to administer Covid-19 booster doses will in next seven to ten days.
“Currently, we have 4.5 crore doses of vaccine in stock, and the drive to inoculate booster doses can be started within seven to ten days,” he said at a programme while receiving 80 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine donated by Japan and UK through the global COVAX facility.
Read: National Committee recommends booster dose for above 60 citizens, frontliners
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson handed over the donations to the health minister at State Guest House Padma.
Maleque said “Japan is a close friend of Bangladesh since the Liberation War while the British government stands by Bangladesh in any crisis of the country. So, the vaccine doses received from the two countries will strengthen us to fight Covid-19.”
So far, three cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in the country and all of them have been put under quarantine, he said adding “They are doing well and undergoing treatment.”
He also urged the people to abide by the health guidelines and get Covid jabs.
On Sunday, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 recommended booster shots to the citizens above 60 and frontliners.
The senior citizens and frontliners who got the two doses of vaccine six months ago will get the booster dose, the NTAC recommended at a meeting.
It also suggested all to take steps to limit public gatherings, meetings and rallies to contain the spread of Omicron.
On December 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Omicron is now present in 57 countries and asked all countries to stay alert about the new variant.
Read: Booster dose in Bangladesh: Authorities asked to work on a precise guideline
A WHO panel named the Coronavirus variant ‘Omicron’ and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the predominant delta variant, which is still a scourge driving higher cases of sickness and death in Europe and parts of the USA.
Amid the growing concern over the new ‘Omicron’ variant of coronavirus, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) suggested the implementation of 15 instructions to prevent the spread of the new variant and urged all concerned to take measures to enforce the instructions.
After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Bangladesh on January 27, the health ministry rolled out the inoculation drive at five government hospitals in Dhaka on January 28.
Govt decides to administer Covid booster dose to above-60 citizens
The government will administer Covid-19 booster doses to senior citizens aged above 60, but the date for the campaign has not yet been decided, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday.
“We will sit later to set the date. We have a plan to provide booster dose to those who are seriously ill,” he said while talking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting on Covid-19 at the ministry.
He said the meeting discussed measures on how to prevent Omicron, a new powerful variant of the infection, from entering the country and contain its spread.
Read: Omicron: DGHS recommends enforcement of 15 instructions
The minister said the government is recommending a ban on flights from African countries and discouraging travelers arriving from Africa in a move to stem the infections.
“Those who still arrive will be placed under institutional quarantine under the watch of the military,” he said adding that this applies also for passengers from European countries. Vigilance along the borders will be strengthened.
“Many people have come and go to our neighbouring country and we have discussed restricting public movement in bordering areas,” he said.
Zahid listed a number of other measures the meeting has decided to take in tackling the virus.
Deputy Commissioners will be asked to ensure that social, political and religious programmes are conducted on a limited scale.
Besides, directives have been given to conduct mobile court drives to ensure the use of masks and slap fines for breaches, he said adding “Our health department has been asked to form a national monitoring cells in all districts and upazilas and take decisions instantly.”
He also urged people to arrange virtual meeting instead of physical presence.
No vaccine no service
“We are going to introduce no vaccine, no service system because we have found some people reluctant to be jabbed,” he added.
“We have brought school students, slum dwellers and people from all walks of life under vaccination programme. Our move of ‘no vaccine no service’ is to accelerate the vaccination programme so that people come forward to get the jab.”
Replying to a question Zahid said “We will send letters to all ministries and they will enforce it.”
Zahid said the country is now better prepared with hospital treatment of Covid patients than before.
Read: NTAC recommends travel ban to contain new variant Omicron
Covid vaccines to be administered in all schools to vaccinate students
School-going students, aged 12-17, will be vaccinated in schools across the country, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday.
The minister said, “We have been vaccinating students of four to five schools through one school till now.”
“In this case, we see that various complications were being created including registration. So, we decided to go to every school and vaccinate the students,” he added.
Read: Vaccination campaign for school students to begin on Nov 1
The minister informed this at a function organized by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) in the capital on Thursday afternoon.
Asked about when this activity would start, Zahid Maleque said “We're getting ready. We'll be able to start vaccinating in schools in a few days,” the minister added.
Besides, this vaccination program will also be conducted regularly in the schools which are already being vaccinated, he said.
The minister also said, “Vaccinating school students is a huge challenge.”
On November 1, the new campaign to vaccinate school students, aged 12-17, against Covid-19 kicked off at 12 centers in Dhaka.
The school students are vaccinated with US-made Pfizer vaccine as it is suitable for them.
“However, the catastrophe that awaits us even bigger than Covid-19 is antimicrobial resistance,” said the minister.
Read: 112 Manikganj students vaccinated under trial run
Stopping consumption of antibiotics unnecessarily is the only solution to prevent antimicrobial resistance, he said. The purchase and sale of antibiotics without a registered physician, dentist and veterinarian should be stopped completely.
Zahid Maleque said, "We will enact a law to stop buying or selling antibiotics without a prescription. The law is awaiting final approval."
Earlier, the health minister inaugurated the online drug license, a new initiative of the DGDA.
Those aged 12-17 to be vaccinated after WHO’s approval: Minister
Those who are aged between 12 and 17 will be brought under the coverage of vaccination against Covid-19 once it is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday.
“We’ve applied to WHO seeking its approval in this regard. The approval of the National Technical Advisory Committee is also needed. Once approved, we’ll start vaccinating those who are aged 12-17,” said the minister while talking to reporters after a meeting at the secretariat.
Read: No decision yet on vaccinating the under-18: DGHS
All medical colleges in Bangladesh to reopen in phases from Sept 13
All state-run and private medical colleges in Bangladesh will reopen from September 13 in a staggered manner, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Thursday.
The decision to resume classroom teaching has been taken by the government in view of the improving Covid-19 situation in the country, the Minister told reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat.
Read: Steps underway to reopen educational institutions: Hasina
“We have decided to resume classes at all medical institutions, including government, private, Delta and nursing colleges, from September 13. It may defer by a day or two but eventually all medical institutions will be opened in a phased way,” he said.
“The authorities concerned have taken all preparations for the resumption of physical classes and the teachers and students have also been covered under the nation-wide vaccination programme,” Zahid said.
There are 1.5 lakh medical students in the country and they have all been asked to attend classes following all Covid-safety protocols, he added. "However, the decision could change considering the Covid situation in the country at the time."
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government was taking all necessary measures to reopen educational institutions in the country at the earliest.
“We’ve been able to control the coronavirus to a large extent. There’s no more problem regarding vaccines… I’ve already directed (the authorities concerned) to reopen schools and colleges soon,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this when she joined a discussion over a motion placed in Parliament to condole the death of Awami League MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan (Sirajganj-6).
Read: Meeting on reopening educational institutions Sunday
The government on August 26 again extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions until September 11 considering the Covid-19 situation in the country.
The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020, days after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases. The closure was extended several times, most recently until August 31.
Bangladesh to receive 10 lakh Pfizer vaccine jabs on Aug 30: Minister
Another 10 lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine from COVAX facility will reach Bangladesh on August 30, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday.
The Pfizer vaccine doses, gifted by the US, are scheduled to arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 7:15 PM by a Qatar Airways flight, he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
Read:US regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller and the health minister will be present at the airport to receive the vaccine jabs.
Earlier, the health minister said Bangladesh will receive 60 lakh more Pfizer jabs from COVAX facility. Another 50 lakh doses will arrive in Bangladesh in phases by September, he said.
Bangladesh started administering the first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at three centres in Dhaka to fight off Covid-19 on June 21.
The United States said it is committed to leading the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic and they will begin this summer the allocation of 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine it is providing to Gavi for distribution by COVAX to countries around the world.
Read: Bangladesh to receive 60 lakh more Pfizer vaccine doses in Aug: Minister
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed this commitment by announcing that the US will donate 80 million doses of vaccines to support global needs.
The US is working with its G7 partners, the EU, COVAX, and others in a multilateral effort focused on saving lives, ending the pandemic, and supporting the global economic recovery.
Much-sought MoU signed for Sinopharm vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh
Bangladesh, China and Incepta Pharmaceutical Ltd on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on coproduction of Sinopharm vaccine in Bangladesh.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Abdul Muktadir, Chairman, Incepta Vaccine Limited signed the MoU from Dhaka while Li Can, President, China Sinopharm International Corporation and Zhu Jingjin, Vice President, China National Biotec Group Company Limited signed it from Beijing.
Incepta, a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, will bring in bulk and bottling, labeling and finishing of the vaccine will be done locally making the price relatively very cheap.
Read: Dhaka to receive 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses shortly
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming witnessed the signing of the MoU among relevant parties.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Health Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah, among others, spoke.
54 lakh more vaccine doses to arrive by Aug 15: Minister
Some 54 lakh more vaccine doses will arrive in Bangladesh by August 15 as the government has geared up its vaccination campaign, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday.
“Some 34 lakh doses of vaccine under Covax facility will arrive between August 9-10 to August 15 in addition to 10 lakh doses, purchased from China. Another 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine will arrive as a gift,” he said.
Read: Moderna says vaccine 93% effective but seeks 3rd-shot in fall
The health minister revealed the information while talking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat.
This will help the country make the ongoing vaccination drive more dynamic, he said, adding, “We’ve started a successful vaccination drive that actually began on August 7.”
Zahid Maleque said rural people are taking jabs in a festive mood as long queues are seen during vaccination. “We’ve planned to vaccinate 600 people in each union but people are overcrowding the vaccine centres,” he added.
Read: Dr Zafrullah describes how Bangladesh can go for low-cost vaccine production
Minister Maleque said, “Those who’ve failed to take shots in their arms got that the following day. Besides, the remote areas have also been brought under immunisation drive as they’re interested in taking shots now.”
He said the vaccination drive in municipality areas will continue alongside the routine vaccination 30 lakh people have been brought under the mega vaccination process. “We’ve got approval to procure 6 crore more doses of vaccine from China.”
Read: Covid vaccine seekers overwhelm Suhrawardy Hospital; chaos all around
As the ruthless Delta variant of Covid-19 keeps spreading like wildfire, Bangladesh on Saturday kicked off another phase of its mass vaccination drive aimed at inoculating 35 lakh people in six days.
Covid jabs will be administered simultaneously in 4,600 unions, 1,054 municipality areas and 433 wards of the city corporations, Director General of Health Services Dr ABM Khurshid Alam told the media on Friday.