Dhaka, Bangladesh (CU)_ The government of Bangladesh has lowered the minimum age for COVID-19 vaccination to 40 years from 55 on Monday. As a result of a tepid response from the people to the ongoing countrywide vaccination program, the government had initiated this measure. The officials immediately implemented the measure after the weekly cabinet meeting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested to simplify the registration process in order to make the vaccine easily available for the common people.
Khandker Anwarul Islam, cabinet secretary, during a press meet said, “The prime minister has asked for easing the registration process for the common people and lowering the minimum age limit to 40 years from 55 years to get the COVID-19 vaccine. She also called upon all concerned to register for the vaccination”. Anwarul said that the Prime Minister has also ordered the authorities to inoculate the frontline fighter’s family, which includes government officials, healthcare workers and media staff.
On Sunday, the government began its national COVID-19 vaccination campaign with the inoculation of 31,160 individuals, lagging behind the 1.5 lakh daily target, especially the frontline healthcare workers and patients and people aged above 55. In the first month, the Directorate General of Health Services intended to vaccinate 35 lakh citizens, but the issues of the registration process and public skepticism about the vaccine probably resulted in a comparatively low number of vaccination registrations.
The Prime Minister’s directions were the result of the poor response of the people to countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Sunday. As the people’s response to the inoculation on the first day of the vaccination campaign was far less than the goal, the Prime Minister virtually chaired the cabinet meeting from her official residence in Ganabhaban and directed for further initiatives.
