Shawdesh Desk:

The mass vaccination against Covid-19 resumed today across the country on a large scale with Sinopharm and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines as Bangladesh is going to get 4.5 million doses of jabs from different sources soon.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the Sinopharm vaccine is being administered throughout the country while the Pfizer-BioNTech one only in the capital in this phase.

Meanwhile, the administering of the 2nd dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is still going on a small scale.

The online registration for vaccination reopened on Wednesday as no one will get the vaccine without registration and confirmation via SMS.

The government halted the online registration process from May 5 due to the shortage of vaccines. A total of 7,248,829 people had registered online for vaccine since January 27.

The Sinopharm vaccine is being administered at 40 centres at government medical colleges, district hospitals and general hospitals across the country, including Dhaka, as first dose.

The vaccination will run from 8:00am to 3:00pm every day except holidays.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being administered in seven centres in Dhaka — Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital and Mitford Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Institute & Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital and Shaheed Suhrwardy Medical College Hospital.

Outbound migrant workers will receive the Pfizer jab as per the list prepared by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training. People who have already registered for vaccine under the seven centres will also get this vaccine.

Bangladeshi expatriates who cannot enter some countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, without taking Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, will receive the doses.

Moreover, the university students will be inoculated based on the list sent by the University Grants Commission (UGC).