‘Already applied with WHO, now awaiting approval’: Minister on jabbing schoolgoers

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Bangladesh has already applied with the World Health Organization (WHO) seeking approval for inoculating schoolgoers aged 12 and above. 

"We asked them [WHO] to give us a decision. If they approve, we will launch vaccination for school students," the minister told reporters Monday after emerging from the cabinet meeting at the Secretariat.

Referring to the PM, Zahid Maleque said, "The prime minister wants bringing all under the vaccination coverage. Pupils in 12-17 age group will also have to be inoculated."

To do so, the minister said the health authorities will require the WHO approval, plus the nod of the Bangladeshi technical committee.      

"Apart from the approval, inoculation of the 12-17 age group will need adequate shots. We are working on that," said Zahid Maleque.     

The government emphasises vaccinating the schoolgoers as the educational institutions are set for the reopening on 12 September after remaining shuttered for around one and a half years.

After an inter-ministerial meeting Sunday, Education Minister Dipu Moni said the health directorate is working on bringing students aged 12 and above under the immunisation programme. However, the health directorate Sunday said there was currently no plan in place to vaccinate under 18 individuals.  

Currently, more than 23 nations are inoculating the students aged below 18.     

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the countries are jabbing students with Moderna and Pfizer shots, and Bangladesh is also mulling the shots.     

The country so far has received 55 lakh Moderna and 11 lakh Pfizer shots under the Covax facility — a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.  

Around 25 lakh citizens have already received the Moderna shots and the remaining stock is kept for the second dose. The government administered 50,000 Pfizer shots as it now has 10 lakh Pfizer jabs in stock.  

Zahid Maleque said some beds in Covid dedicated hospitals would be shaped for other patients as the infection curve keeps falling. 

Daily death falls to 65  

Amid a steady decline in daily Covid-19 deaths, the country reported 65 casualties in the past 24 hours until Monday morning. 

In the past 24 hours, 2,710 more people tested positive for the virus as the positivity rate remains below 10% for the third consecutive day Monday. 

Bangladesh reported 70 deaths and 2,430 cases on the previous day. 

Covid-19 killed 26,628 people and infected 1,517,166 since the pandemic hit the country last year.