Dhaka: Students from pre-primary to class IX across Bangladesh will receive free typhoid vaccines at their respective schools until November 13, as announced by Professor Dr. Md. Abu Jafor, Director General (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The “Typhoid Vaccination Campaign 2025” commenced today, aiming to vaccinate around five crore children across the country within the next month.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the campaign was officially launched at Maple Leaf International School in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, where Professor Jafor addressed the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest. He emphasized that all children aged between nine months and 15 years will be included in the vaccination drive, with out-of-school children receiving their vaccines at community-level EPI centers.
Highlighting the ongoing efforts of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) under the DGHS, Professor Jafor mentioned that since 1979, the program has been crucial in reducing deaths and disabilities caused by vaccine-preventable diseases among children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age. Annually, around 42 lakh children are vaccinated against various life-threatening diseases in Bangladesh, averting nearly one lakh child deaths.
Typhoid fever remains a significant health challenge in Bangladesh, with the DGHS chief noting its high prevalence due to contamination through water, food, and poor hygiene. Children between nine months and 15 years are particularly vulnerable. A study conducted in 2021 revealed that approximately 8,000 people died from typhoid in Bangladesh, with about 6,000 of them being children under the age of 15.
The event also saw addresses from prominent figures such as Ali Karam Reza, Principal of Maple Leaf International School, Zahurul Islam, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, Professor Dr. Khair Ahmed Chowdhury, Director of DGHS, and Dr. Md. Sultan Ahmed, Director of the Directorate General of Family Planning.
Professor Jafor highlighted the growing concern of drug-resistant typhoid, stressing that vaccination could significantly reduce infection rates and the unnecessary use of antibiotics. The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) being administered is safe, effective, and approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), offering long-lasting immunity.
Drawing comparisons, the DG noted that countries like Pakistan and Nepal have successfully introduced the TCV, which builds long-term immunity and reduces the risk of drug-resistant typhoid. He assured that the vaccine is halal-certified and compliant with Islamic laws.
Registration for the vaccine is facilitated through the website vaxepi.gov.bd using a 17-digit birth registration number, with provisions for those without birth certificates. Professor Jafor concluded by urging the public’s cooperation to ensure the campaign’s success, citing past achievements in controlling diseases such as polio, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, and neonatal tetanus through vaccination efforts.