Anticipating more doses to come in the coming weeks, public health experts in Bangladesh have asked the government to revise several aspects of the current vaccination program for effective implementation of the drive.

In a discussion organized by the Institute of Health Economics of Dhaka University, experts pointed gaps in prioritizing groups, communication strategies, research, monitoring, and evaluation. According to the country’s budget for 2021-22, the government has set an aim of vaccinating close to 2.5 million people each month.

Saidur Rahman, professor of Pharmacology at the university, opined that authorities needed to increase the target, adding the current target is inadequate.  

“At the targeted rate, only 1 percent of the population will be vaccinated every two days while the rest will remain at risk. The vaccine program needs to be implemented in a way that ensures the maximum possible vaccine coverage in a year,” he was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

Dr. Liakat Ali, an expert in cell biology and the country’s leading public health expert, said the government needed to improve its communication strategy. There is also a lack of data, research, and monitoring systems. 

To succeed in the vaccination program, the government needs to create herb immunity through vaccines. And to check if the vaccine administered to people is generating antibodies, we need to collect data, and research, experts pointed out in the seminar. 

(SAM)