Vaccination campaign: Large crowds at centres amid Covid-19 vaccine crisis

Massive crowds were seen gathering at the vaccination centres since morning on the second day of the nationwide mass vaccination campaign amid a shortage of vaccines.

Due to the limited number of vaccines, many people failed to receive vaccination cards and were forced to go back home after a long wait.

According to vaccine-seekers In Pravati Bidya Niketan centre of Dhaka South City Corporation Ward 35, people favoured by local representatives have received the allotted vaccines.

One Zahidur Rahman said, "I left home after Fajr prayers to receive the vaccine. Now they have run out of vaccines."

Nirmal Das, with his serial number 55, had been waiting since morning in the long queue.

"Now they (centre authorities) have closed the gate and announced that the vaccine stock is finished. All have been given to the councillor's men," he told The Business Standard.

Babul Hossain complained that the centre's authorities let some people sent from the local councillor get the jabs instead of letting others enter.

"We have been standing in line since 6 am but others got vaccinated by entering through a separate gate while leaving us in the serial," he said.

Sharmin Begum did not get vaccinated even after standing in line for two days.

"Councillors and the people of Awami League control everything here. The campaign is over as soon as 50 people are vaccinated!" she told The Business Standard.

File Photo: TBS

According to the health workers working at the centre, the vaccine stock was almost finished with hundreds still waiting outside.

In DSCC Ward 18 (Hatirpul) Gausia Restaurant vaccination centre, intense commotions were observed since morning and there was tension between the police and vaccine seekers.

Many people also protested when the authorities closed the vaccination programme at 11:30 am. 

Yakub Hossain, one of the protesters, said he had waited in line all day yesterday and even today but did not receive the jab. 

"By lobbying in front of us, VIPs and party leaders and workers are getting vaccinated without getting in the line! the police beat me and threw me to the ground after I confronted about their inaction," he told The Business Standard. 

No one was seen obeying social distance and hygiene rules in these centres.

Meanwhile expatriates complained about their hassles in getting vaccinated. 

Mahfuzur Rahman, an expatriate from Italy, said he visited multiple centres to get the proper vaccine before his departure but failed to manage any. 

"The Italian government has made the Pfizer or modern vaccine mandatory for expatriates in its country, but when I went to my area (Manikganj) to get vaccinated I saw that the Sinopharm vaccine was being given there. Later, I visited Mohakhali DNCC Covid-19 Hospital to take Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, they asked me to go to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. But there, centre authorities said from now on they will not vaccinate if there is no SMS on the phone, now I do not understand what to do!," he told The Business Standard. 

On the first day of the countrywide six-day Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign, which began on Saturday with spontaneous participation of people, over some 28 lakh people were inoculated.

The nationwide mass inoculation will continue till 12 August.

People aged 25 years and above will be vaccinated during this extended inoculation drive.

Besides, the people aged 50 years and above will get priority to receiving vaccines.

The government has set a target to vaccinate 32 lakh people during the mass inoculation campaign.