Moderna vaccine to be given as booster dose: DGHS

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has to administer Moderna vaccine instead of Pfizer as the booster dose, reports UNB.

The Pfizer vaccine will be stored only for the vaccination of students, aged 12-17, Shamsul Haq, the director of DGHS, said in a statement on Wednesday.

On 28 December last year, Bangladesh officially began the administration of booster doses but on a limited scale. Initially, citizens aged above 60 are being administered with the booster dose.

Later on 6 January, cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that students aged 12 or above must receive at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to attend schools and colleges.

In this regard, on Monday, education minister Dipu Moni said that all students aged 12 or above will be vaccinated with at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 31 January so that they can attend schools and colleges.

The campaign to vaccinate school students, aged 12-17, against Covid-19 started at 12 centres in Dhaka on 1 November last year with the US-made Pfizer vaccine as it is suitable for them.