The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has urged first dose recipients of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine who have been waiting to visit their nearest vaccination centres to avail the second dose of the vaccine.
The Management Information Systems (MIS) unit of DGHS published a circular in this regard on Monday morning.
DGHS said they have enough doses of the vaccine for everyone who has been waiting since April 25 to get their second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca.
Director of MIS unit Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman said: “We urge the people to get the second dose as soon as possible, since the first shot was given three months ago.
“Even people who did not receive the message will get the vaccine,” he added.
Following the administration of the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on August 2, staff at the vaccination centre prohibited anyone from getting the second dose unless they had received a confirmation message.
Regarding this matter Assistant Director Dr Ayesha Akhter of 250 Bedded TB Hospital said staff members had been unclear as to whether second doses could be administered without confirmation messages.
However, now any person who received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can get the second dose even without the confirmation message, she added.
According to health officials, most of the second dose recipients have received the confirmation messages by now, but their response rate remains low. So, it may be necessary for the DGHS to call them so they can visit the centers in time for vaccinations.
Bangladesh government received some 2.4million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in four shipments as of Saturday, August 21 from Japan, and over 8lakh doses among them have been administered till Sunday evening.
DGHS needs over 600,000 doses of the vaccine to administer second doses to those who have been waiting, and the remaining 865,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be used to further the vaccination campaign.
