More than one crore children aged between 12 and 17 will gradually be vaccinated with Pfizer against Coronavirus while 3 million of them will be jabbed primarily.
Health and Family Welfare Minister ZahidMaleque said this after inaugurating the trial vaccination campaign of students at Colonel Malek Medical College Hospital in Manikganj on Thursday.
"Today is a happy day for us," the minister told reporters addingthat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's dream was to vaccinate every person in Bangladesh, including students. That dream is about to be fulfilled.
About the vaccine stock, he said, “We have 6 million vaccines in stock and about 3 million children will be inoculated initially with Pfizer, a quality ensuring vaccine produced in the United States (US). Children in various countries, including the US and the United Kingdom are being jabbed with this vaccine.”
On the event, 120 students of ninth and 10th graders from four schools were inoculated. This vaccination drive will be carried out in 21 places across the country including Dhaka.
MobashbirRahmanRafid, a 10th grader of Manikganj Government Boys High School was the first child to get the jab at the event. He said he was a little scared at first, but he did not feel anything after taking the vaccine adding he was very happy.
Meanwhile, parents have also expressed satisfaction after the campaign was inaugurated. They said the children can overcome the fear of the virus and attend class safely without anything to worry over.
The minister further said, “We want our children to be safe too. They are coming to schools, they should be safe from the coronavirus. That's why Pfizer's vaccine was trialed with our children.”
These students will be under an observation of 10 to 14 days to check if the vaccine works well or has any side effect.
