Many are still coming to the vaccination centres to get the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. But since there is no vaccine, they are being turned back without getting their second jab.
Vaccination drives in 25 of the 47 vaccination centres in the capital have come to a halt. However, the common people do not know about this. They do not know where to get the second dose either. Besides, vaccine stocks have been depleted in 39 districts. Many people do not know that the sadar and upazila hospitals in these districts have run out of vaccines.
Concerned persons are saying if the health directorate had sent a text message to the people, waiting for the second dose, telling them not to come to vaccination centres, the people would not have gone through such a hassle. Besides, an official campaign can also be conducted in this regard.
On 5 April, a media worker took his first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Maternal and Child Health Training Institute in the capital’s Azimpur. He was told that he would be vaccinated with the second dose on 5 June.
However, when he went to the vaccination centre on the scheduled date, he came to know from the officials that there was no vaccine.
A day later on 6 June, two officials of a private company went to the National Institute of Ear, Nose & Throat in the capital's Tejgaon area for their second dose. Upon getting there, they saw a notice hanging on the wall saying, “Due to lack of supply, the vaccination drive has been suspended temporarily”.
Another notice stated "You will be informed by SMS as soon as the vaccine arrives”. Both of them took their first dose on 5 April.
Till now, more than 5.8 million people (5,820,015) have taken the first dose of coronavirus vaccine. Among them, some 4.22 million (4,223,178) have had their second jab. The government does not have enough vaccines to administer the second dose to some 1.5 million people.
The Maternal and Child Health Institute under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), is in charge of the management of ongoing vaccination programme. Director of the programme, Shamsul Haque told Prothom Alo, “Many are coming to get vaccinated without getting any SMS. Many are coming to the centres days after the scheduled date too. These people are returning from the vaccination centres without getting vaccinated.”
However, an accurate account on the number of people returning without getting the second dose of Covid vaccine was not available.
SMS for Covid certificates before getting the second dose
Mitun Nahar took her first shot of coronavirus vaccine on 16 March from Satkhira General Hospital. She was scheduled to get her second dose on 18 May.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mitun Nahar said she could not go to the vaccination centre on the scheduled date. She went there a week later. The officials told her to come the next day. As per the instructions of the official, she went to the Sadar Hospital the next day. But she was told that there was no vaccine at the vaccination centre.
However, after two days, Mitun Nahar got a message on her mobile asking her to get the Covid certificate from the “Shurokkha '' website as she had taken the second dose.
Mitun cannot understand how this could happen? Even the officials of the Sadar Hospital could not give her any satisfactory answer.
When asked about this, prof Mizanur Rahman, director of the Management Information System of the DGHS, termed it is a serious matter. He said he would look into it.
The government is trying to procure vaccines for the people who have not taken the second dose. The country has procured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from two countries. The time period between the two doses has also been increased.
Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of health directorate’s Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), thinks the health directorate should send a SMS apologising to the people who have not got the second dose as yet. He said the common people should be informed about the continuous efforts of the government for the vaccine procurement. This would increase the common people’s confidence in government.