Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Wednesday said the government is procuring various vaccines on a large scale to strengthen the country's immunisation program.
He made the remarks at noon at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while receiving a shipment of vaccines - supplied through UNICEF. At that time, high official of both sides were present.
According to the official sources, the consignment included 15 lakh doses of measles-rubella (MR) vaccine and 900,000 doses (90,000 vials) of tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine. The vaccines arrived in the country on a regular Qatar Airways flight.
While speaking to the journalists at the airport, the minister said that although some decisions by the previous government had affected the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), the current administration has placed it at the highest priority.
He added that the decision to procure vaccines through open tender has been scrapped, and steps have been taken to collect vaccines directly through UNICEF, which is being implemented swiftly.
The minister noted that the government has already paid $83.6 million to UNICEF to procure around 95 million doses of 10 types of vaccines.
He said in the first shipment on May 3, more than 15 lakh doses of IPV vaccine arrived in the country. On May 6, another 15 lakh doses of MR vaccine and 900,000 doses of Td vaccine were received.
He further said by May 10, an additional 1.8 crore doses of MR, Td, BCG, TCV, oral polio vaccine (OPV), and pentavalent vaccines are expected to arrive, and the full supply is planned to be completed by September.
Highlighting efforts to control the ongoing measles outbreak, the minister said the "Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026" is currently underway. As of May 5, more than 1.68 crore children have been vaccinated, achieving 93 per cent of the target. He expressed hope that full coverage would be achieved soon.
The minister also said there is an adequate stock of TCV and HPV vaccines in the country, and expressed the optimism that with the new supplies, there would not be vaccine shortage for the next 8-12 months. And the vaccine quality is being ensured through a cold chain system, with technical support from UNICEF, he maintained.
He called on parents, teachers, community leaders, and religious figures to play an active role in ensuring to vaccine children.
