Around 1.8 lakh people have received Covid-19 vaccine across the country including in Dhaka city till Tuesday as part of the nationwide vaccination programme.

A total of 179,318 people received the vaccine on January 27-28 and February 7-9, according to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data.

The DGHS said 101,082 people received Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday, the third day of the countywide vaccination. Of the recipients, 74,586 were male and 26,496 female.              

“Only 94 people reported adverse effects after immunisation (AEFI),” it added.

The government’s nationwide vaccination against coronavirus started on Sunday, aiming to vaccinate 35 lakh people in the first phase. Some 31,160 people were vaccinated on Sunday and another 46,509 received the vaccine on Monday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the vaccination programme virtually when 26 frontliners received Covishield vaccine in Kurmitola General Hospital on January 27. Some 541 more received the vaccine in five hospitals in Dhaka on the next day.

DGHS sources and some vaccine recipients said no major side effects have been reported by the vaccine recipients.

Meanwhile, after visiting a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday, health services division secretary Md Abdul Mannan told reporters “Fear (about the vaccine) has gone away. A festive atmosphere has been created centring the vaccination programme.”

He said people are receiving the vaccine in queues as there is no hassle. “I have talked to many people. They told me that they are not feeling any discomfort after receiving the vaccine,” he added.

Abdul Mannan claimed that the vaccination programme will turn more festive in the coming days.

Mentioning that more than six lakh people already have registered for the vaccine, Abdul Mannan said they have taken all arrangements for the people to get the vaccine safely.

Elderly people, who are unable to get registered, will be administered vaccines under special arrangements, he added.

“We have also kept arrangements for spot registration. I’m assuring all that there is nothing to be worried about as there is enough vaccine in our stock and we are getting more vaccines from various sources,” he said.

Bangladesh will get another 1.31 lakh vaccine doses under Covax by the end of February.

Covax is co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Gavi vaccine alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Mentioning that the second lot of 5 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive in time from the Serum Institute of India as per the deal, the health secretary said the government thinks there will not be any crisis of vaccine in the country.

"As long as the people want to get vaccinated, whatever the cost of the vaccine, the Prime Minister is mentally and financially prepared to protect everyone," he added.

Talking to reporters, Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director-general of DGHS, said they are conducting the Covid-19 vaccine programme considering 10 per cent wastage of the vaccine doses.

"Every vial contains ten doses of vaccine. 10 doses of vaccine can be given to 10 people. If less than 10 people are present at a vaccine centre then the vaccine can be wasted if the vial is opened. But so far the number of such vaccination centre is less than 10 per cent,” he said.

After taking the vaccine at a clinic building in the secretariat on Tuesday, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain told reporters that all teachers of government primary schools will be administered Covid-19 vaccine within a week.

“Already Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the Health Ministry to bring the teachers under the vaccination drive. We will try our best to complete their vaccination within the next 7 days,” he said.

He also urged teachers and staff of the ministry who are above 40 to come and get vaccinated.