H1N1 pandemic vaccination programme underway

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The H1N1 pandemic vaccination programme began Tuesday targeting 15.6 million people who fall within the priority groups for vaccination against H1N1 pandemic influenza, reports UNB.
As par National Plan of Action for Pandemic Influenza Vaccination and in accordance with WHO recommendations, the priority groups include healthcare providers, pregnant women and those aged above 6 months with chronic medical conditions.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Professor AFM Ruhal Haque, along with other health officials and representatives of UN agencies and development partners, launched the vaccination campaign and received the first injections of pandemic influenza H1N1 vaccine at a city hotel.
WHO is providing emergency supplies of the vaccine to 95 low and middle-income countries and would not otherwise be able to secure supplies.
WHO plans to provide enough doses to inoculate up to 10 per cent of the population of these countries. WHO estimates that in the first year, this will entail about 200 million doses of vaccine, plus ancillary products such as syringes and safety boxes.
The US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated thirty million vaccines worldwide, part of which would be available for Bangladesh in this vaccination campaign.
The US government has also provided 2,625,600 syringes and 30,200 safety boxes to Bangladesh to ensure that these vaccines are appropriately positioned in targeted areas.