Dhaka: A total of 12.68 lakh children will be covered under a typhoid vaccination campaign in Cumilla. This initiative was announced during a view-exchange meeting held at the Cumilla Civil Surgeon Office, chaired by Civil Surgeon Dr. Ali Nur Bashir and attended by key health officials, including WHO representative Dr. Subhal Chandra Saha.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting underscored the importance of the typhoid vaccination campaign in building a healthy nation. Officials emphasized that the government is offering these vaccines free of cost and urged for the participation of all registered children. The meeting highlighted the role of journalists in dispelling rumors about the vaccine and ensuring the campaign’s success with collective effort.
The officials at the meeting pointed out the rapid transmission of typhoid through contaminated food and water, noting its potential fatality if not promptly addressed. Vaccination, they stressed, is crucial to preventing the disease. They called for the media’s active involvement in disseminating accurate information about the vaccination process to the public.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Ali Nur Bashir expressed concern over the high number of fatalities in Bangladesh, with 10,000 deaths out of 1.1 lakh cases globally, stressing the importance of achieving the district’s target of 95 percent vaccine coverage. He reported that approximately 1.2 million registrations have been completed in Cumilla, with ongoing registration efforts.
The meeting’s primary theme was presented by WHO representative Subhal Chandra Saha, who detailed the vaccination campaign starting from October 12, aiming to administer one dose of the typhoid vaccine to 1.268 lakh children aged 9 months to 15 years in Cumilla. This campaign will span 18 working days, concluding on November 13, with active participation from district journalists in the advocacy efforts.