Free oral cholera vaccination campaign begins 22 August, targeting 51 lakh people
Everyone aged one year and above, except pregnant women, will be eligible to receive the two doses free of charge. The second dose must be taken at least 14 days after the first.
A free two-dose oral cholera vaccination campaign will begin tomorrow, targeting more than 51 lakh people in cholera high-risk areas across the two Dhaka city corporations, Kishoreganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and 14 upazilas and thanas in Brahmanbaria.
Everyone aged one year and above, except pregnant women, will be eligible for the vaccine. Recipients must register through vaxepi.gov.bd using a birth registration certificate or national identity card.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain urged people to combine vaccination with safe water, hygiene and public awareness to prevent cholera. He made the remarks today (20 August) while inaugurating the "Preventive Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign-2026" at Nagar Bhaban in the capital.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The first dose will be administered from tomorrow to 21 September, while the second will be given from 26 September to 25 October, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. The second dose must be taken at least 14 days after the first.
The campaign will cover Lalbagh, Gandaria, Kadamtali, Kamrangirchar, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Khilkhet and Tejgaon police station areas in Dhaka. Outside the capital, it will cover Brahmanbaria Sadar and Nabinagar, Tarail, Karimganj and Hossainpur in Kishoreganj, Munshiganj Sadar and Narayanganj Sadar.
Vaccines will be provided at designated centres, health facilities, educational institutions, community clinics and through mobile teams.
Prevention alongside vaccination
Sakhawat said cholera had once devastated entire villages, recalling witnessing 21 burials in a single day in his own area. Advances in treatment and prevention have since significantly changed the situation, he said.
"Vaccination alone is not enough," he said, stressing safe food, clean water, handwashing with soap and public awareness.
Firdausi Qadri, scientist at icddr,b's Infectious Diseases Division, said studies in Bangladesh showed the vaccine could protect against cholera for three to five years.
State Minister for Health MA Muhit said the government was prioritising prevention over treatment to reduce pressure on the healthcare system.
He identified safe water, handwashing and proper sanitation as key measures and urged health workers, social organisations and local leaders to help extend vaccination coverage to remote chars and hilly areas.
