Runu Veronica Costa, a senior nurse at the Kurmitola General Hospital, received the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the pilot vaccination programme on January 27, 2021. Photo: Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 in Bangladesh began on Wednesday. It is an incredibly important task and we wish the government the best of luck in this undertaking. Bangladesh now has 70 lakh vaccine doses at hand, of which 20 given as a gift from the Indian government. In total, Bangladesh has purchased 3 crore doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Serum Institute of India, which will arrive in several phases. The government has targeted vaccinating 60 lakh people in the first month and another 50 lakh the following month. A pilot programme began yesterday, involving five public hospitals in Dhaka. Nurses, doctors, freedom fighters, media personnel and other frontline workers from different professional groups will receive the shots during the trial phase.

According to the director general of the DGHS, data available to the government shows that the vaccine is safe and its side effects are minimal. But in order to treat any side effects including severe allergic shocks, the DGHS has made arrangements to treat them. The vaccination guidelines for health workers said that in some cases, side effects like eye and face swelling, mild breathing issues, low blood pressure, nausea or unconsciousness might occur after vaccination. And health workers have been advised about what medical intervention to take in response. All recipients of the vaccine will have to stay at the vaccination centres for 15-30 minutes after the jab, and a medical team will also be present to tackle such adverse events in every vaccination centre.

In order to ensure that all recipients receive proper treatment in case of any side effect, and also instil people's confidence in the vaccine and our health sector's ability to provide the response needed to any side effect, we hope the authorities will take every precaution that they ought to. Health officials have said that side effects may arise if the purity of the vaccine is damaged due to improper storage. This means that all the vaccines that are in the country as well as the ones that will come in later must be stored in proper conditions. Faulty syringes and needles may also cause side effects, and therefore fresh syringes and needles must be made available at these hospitals at all times.

We understand that the vaccination programme will take some time, and it is best for the government to proceed keeping safety in mind first. However, because of the great challenges that are associated with such a largescale programme, we once again urge the government to plan ahead of time every step of the way.