Over 3 crore citizens register online for Covid-19 vaccine

The Directorate General of Health Services said some 52,24311 citizens were administered both doses of the Covid-19 vaccines since January 27 this year with more than 3 crore people registered for inoculation, until August 12.

The total number of citizens who have done registration for availing vaccination on Surokkha app until August 12 was 3,05,37,806. Meanwhile, the number of people who got their first doses of vaccination stood at 1,53,11,669.

The government has so far procured 3,10,17,920 vials of Covid-19 from international sources while most of them comprise Chinese Sinofarm vaccines (1,35,70,000), followed by AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, respectively, according to DGHS statistics.

“It is frustrating that only 52,24,311 got double shots of vaccines since vaccination started on January 27 this year till August 12,” said Be-Nazir Ahmed, former WHO expert and director of disease control at the Directorate General of Health.

He said the government has also made a U-turn from the mass inoculation programme which is bad for a country like Bangladesh.

He said the rural people are showing their interest in getting the jabs and that vaccines are also available. “The government has not been successful in vaccine diplomacy.”

Be-Nazir said: “The coronavirus vaccine doses are now available in the world which is easy to get but our mismanagement in running the inoculation programme has darkened Bangladesh’s image abroad.”