Countrywide mass vaccination begins, may exceed 1cr target: Officials

The day-long countrywide mass vaccination campaign aiming to vaccinate one crore people with the first dose of Covid-19 jabs began this morning amid huge crowds at the vaccination centres. 

As the vaccination centres are seeing a huge rush of people, the health officials expect that the one crore target may exceed.

With today's campaign, the inoculation for the first dose Covid-19 vaccine dose will be over.

People crowd at Savar’s Bangladesh Institute of Health Management for the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines: Photo: Palash Khan

"The number of people taking the first dose today will be more than our target. The inoculation activities will be continued till the evening without any break. We will decide on the next course of action based on the situation," Md Lokman Hossain Mian, senior secretary of the health services division told reporters while visiting Dhaka Medical College Hospital vaccination centre this morning.

Women are standing in long queues at Savar Adhor Chndra High School: Photo: Palash Khan

People were seen crowding at the vaccination centres in Dhaka city, while volunteers and other staffers have been struggling to tackle the huge rush.

Around 800 temporary vaccination centres have been set up across the city in addition to the regular ones.

Today, the special vaccination campaign is being held in 24,500 vaccination centres countrywide where around 70,000 vaccinators and volunteers have been assigned, according to the health officials.

People crowd at Dhaka Medical College Hospita for the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines. Photo: Amran Hossain

People are being vaccinated with the first dose Covid-19 vaccine without any registration via online or documents.

People started gathering en-masse as the health directorate scrapped the requirement for registration or showing documents to take vaccines from February 16.

Vaccine seekers crowd at Alhaj Mostafa Hakim Degree College At Uttar Kattoli of Chattogram. Photo: Rajib Raihan

Our Pirojpur correspondent reports, the mass vaccination programme began at 9am at 14 permanent and 216 temporary centres in seven upazilas of Pirojpur.

Crowds are spilling over at the centres since morning.

Our Pirojpur correspondent reports, the mass vaccination programme began at 9am at 14 permanent and 216 temporary centres in seven upazilas of Pirojpur.

Crowds are spilling over at the centres since morning.

The photo was taken from Pirojpur Government High School Vaccination Centre. Photo: Habibur Rahman

In Pirojpur, 2.72 lakh people are still left to be vaccinated, said Civil Surgeon Dr Md Hasnat Yusuf Zaki.

Although the vaccination campaign is scheduled to be held from 9am to 4pm, the civil surgeon said the programme will continue as long as the vaccine seekers come.