DHAKA, March 1, 2022 (BSS) - A total of 1,46,77,544 people received the

first dose of COVID-19 vaccines during the nationwide three-day campaign as
the authorities dubbed the campaign as one of the largest drives in the world.

   "The target of vaccination during the three-day campaign has been exceeded
as 1,46,77,544 people received the first dose of vaccines...Bangladesh has
set a target of administering one crore doses of vaccines because the country
launched one-day drive and subsequently it (campaign) turned into a three-day
drive" Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof
Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam told BSS this evening.

   As many as 1,11,74,725 people were immunized with the first dose of
coronavirus vaccine on February 26 (first day of campaign), 19,33,775
vaccinated on February 27 (second day of campaign) while 15,69,44 people
received first dose of COVID-19 jabs on the concluding day of the drive
(February 28), he added.

   "With concerted efforts of all, particularly physicians, medical
technologists and health workers, we have achieved unprecedented feat of
administering this large number of people meaning Bangladesh has advanced one
step forward in expansion of vaccination coverage across the country," Alam
added.

   As of February 26, a total of 20,71,44,688 doses of COVID-19 vaccines
including booster dose were administered across the country.

  "A total of 12,07,56,056 people were administered the first dose of COVID-
19 vaccine till February 26 while 8,27,54,951 received the second dose across
the country during the same period," according to the data of Management
Information System of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

   As many as 36,33,681 people received the booster dose of COVID- 19 vaccine
to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

   Of the total number of vaccine doses during the first day of campaign,
1,11,74,725 people received the first dose of coronavirus vaccines while
8,15,073 received the second dose and 73,855 received booster dose during the
same period, the DGHS added.

   A total of 20,99,37,805 doses of COVID-19 vaccines including booster dose
were administered till February 27, 2022.

  "A total of 12,26,89,831 people were administered the first dose of COVID-
19 vaccine till February 27 while 8,35,29,389 received the second dose across
the country during the same period," the DGHS added.

  As many as 37,18,585 people received the booster dose of COVID- 19 vaccine
to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

  Of the total vaccination doses till February 27, 19,33,775 people received
the first dose of coronavirus vaccines on the second day of the campaign
while 77,44,38 received the second dose and 84,904 received booster dose
during the same period, the DGHS added.

   As of February 28, a total of 21,23,88,256 doses of COVID-19 vaccines
including booster dose were administered across the country.

  "A total of 12,42,58,875 people have been administered the first dose of
COVID-19 vaccine till February 28 while 8,43,26,234 received the second dose
across the country during the same period," the DGHS added.

   As many as 38,03,147 people received the booster dose of COVID- 19 vaccine
to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

  Of the total vaccination doses on the third day of campaign, 15,69,044
people received the first dose of coronavirus vaccines, while 77,96,845
received the second dose and 84,562 received booster dose during the same
period, the DGHS added.

   The three-day nationwide mass vaccination campaign ended yesterday
(February 28) achieving a milestone of success in administering around 1.5
crore people with first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

  "Earlier, Bangladesh set a target to vaccinate one crore people with first
doses during the mass vaccination campaign... but we extended the one-day
campaign into three-day drive as a huge number of people thronged vaccination
infrastructures," Alam added.

  "We have fixed a target to inoculate 70 percent people with both doses of
COVID-19 jabs," he said, adding this three-day mass vaccination coverage has
already made a remarkable contribution to fulfill the goal.," the DGHS DG
added.

  The government engaged a large number of medical professionals --
physicians, medical technologist and health workers -- across the country.

  With sincere efforts of all, Bangladesh has reached a milestone of success
in the COVID-19 vaccination coverage, which will create a shield against the
deadly virus, the health service chief added.

  "If necessary, we will launch such mass vaccination campaign to bring all
eligible people under inoculation coverage as it has been proved that
expansion of vaccination is a very effective remedy to prevent the spread of
the lethal virus," Alam added.

   The vaccination campaign for administering the first dose of COVID-19
vaccines began at 8am daily and it continued throughout the day, he added.

   "During the past three days of the campaign, all eligible people thronged
the designated vaccination centres and booths to receive COVID-19 jabs...we
monitored the nationwide mass vaccination campaign to make it successful to
fight the disease," Alam added.

   Earlier, the government set a target to complete the first dose of
coronavirus vaccine on February 26, but it (government) decided to continue
the campaign for two more days to reach remarkable progress in the first dose
of vaccination coverage, he added.

   According to the DGHS, the nationwide mass vaccination campaign was
conducted successfully as people thronged vaccination centers, makeshift and
mobile booths to receive first dose of vaccines.

   With administering the total doses of vaccine so far, the government has
brought 73 percent people under vaccination coverage with first, second and
booster doses, Health Minister told a function recently.

   Bangladesh has set an impressive success on vaccination coverage as the
country has already inoculated 21 crore doses of vaccine, he said adding, "We
have been able to control three waves of coronavirus due to multiple
initiatives including expansion of the vaccination programme."

   Bangladesh secured 10th position in the vaccination programme and the
ongoing mass vaccination campaign will push the country into a new feat
covering fully unvaccinated people to fight the COVID-19, the health minister
added.

  "Since mid-February, we have geared up significantly the COVID-19
vaccination programme and we will scale up our efforts to reach the target at
the quickest possible time," Alam added.

   He said, "We went door to door at grassroots level to bring all people
under the first dose of vaccination coverage. For this we extended the
campaign till February 28 (today)," he added.

   Alam attributed the controlling of third wave of COVID-19 that hit
Bangladesh mid-January this year, to expansion of vaccination coverage,
including booster dose.

  "We have laid emphasis on vaccination coverage as it (vaccine) has reduced
both fatalities and rising of positivity rate of COVID-19... more than 80
percent deaths linked to coronavirus are unvaccinated people," Alam added.

  "During the campaign, people were allowed to receive COVID-19 vaccines
without registration or any documents from any centre," Dr Shamsul Haque,
member secretary of the National Covid-19 Vaccine Management Taskforce, said.

  "We gave maximum number of people the first dose of vaccine during the
three-day drive," Shamsul said, adding all respective hospitals and
vaccination centres have been directed to immunize coronavirus vaccine
without any registration.

  "The main objective of mass vaccination campaign was to bring all
vulnerable groups of people under vaccination coverage... meaning a
significant progress of administering first dose of COVID-19 inoculation is
ensured ," he added.

  "A total of 30,000 vaccination booths were set up across the country
alongside mobile inoculation centres from city corporations to union levels,"
he said, adding 1,45,000 health workers were engaged at these vaccination
booths and inoculation centres.

  People received COVID-19 vaccines only by giving mobile number, he said,
adding that, "The people, who received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine,
have been given a card... this card was given as a document for receiving
second or booster dose."

  After a good progress on the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination coverage,
Shamsul said, "We will focus on second and booster dose to scale up
vaccination programme across the country."

  Three vaccination centres were set up at each union across the country
while five mobile vaccination centres were set up to inoculate the people at
each upazila and 20 mobile centres at each district, the health service
official said.

  As many as 30 mobile vaccination centres were set up at each zone of two
city corporations of Dhaka while 40 vaccination centres were set up at
Narayanganj city corporations, Shamsul added.

  A total of 60 mobile vaccination centres were set up at each zone of
Barishal, Sylhet, Cumilla and Mymensingh while 25 mobile vaccination centres
will extend their inoculation services at Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattagram and
Rangpur.