30mln students aged 12-17 to be vaccinated: Maleque

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque  today said students aged between 12 and 17 across the country will be  vaccinated with Pfizer jabs.

“Under the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we decided to  inoculate 30 million students aged between 12 and 17,” he told the inaugural  function of the countrywide vaccination campaign for students aged 12-17 at  Ideal School and College in Motijheel in the city.     Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni addressed the function as the chief guest,  an official release said here.

The US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller, Education Secretary Md  Mahbub Hossain and Director General of Directorate General of Health Service  (DGHS) Professor Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, among other,  addressed the function with Secretary of Health Service Division Lokman Hosen  Mian in the chair.     The vaccination campaign for the students began today (November 1) at eight  centers in Dhaka city.

“As part of the nationwide drive, students aged between 12 and 17 will be  inoculated from eight schools in Dhaka city from today,” Md Shamsul Haque,  line director of Directorate General of Health Service(DGHS) and member  secretary of Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Committee said.     The eight schools are Ideal School and College in Motijheel, Hurdco  International School at Bashundhara, Southpoint School and College at  Malibagh, Chittagong Grammar School at Banani, Dhaka Commerce College in  Mirpur, Kakoli High School and College in Dhanmondi, South Breeze School in  Uttara and Scholastica School in Mirpur, he added.

As many as 25 booths have been set up in each centre, where students of  other schools in the vicinity can come to get vaccinated as well, Haque said.    DGHS Director General said “Initially, the countrywide vaccination campaign  for students aged between 12 and 17 began at eight centers in Dhaka city and  it (campaign) will be conducted across the country in phases.”