Shawdesh desk:

The Moderna vaccine instead of the Pfizer jab will be administered as the third or booster dose at all vaccine centres across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services’ (DGHS).

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

On December 28 last year, Bangladesh officially began the administration of booster doses of a Covid-19 vaccine but “on a limited scale”. Initially, citizens aged above 60 received the booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

However, on January 6, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that students, aged above 12 or above, should 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 January 31 so that they can attend schools and colleges.

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