Staff Correspondent
The nationwide typhoid vaccination campaign for children and adolescents has been rescheduled. Instead of starting on September 1, the program will now launch on October 12, targeting nearly 50 million children under 15 years of age with free vaccines. Abul Fazl Mohammad Shahbuddin Khan, manager of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), stated that the delay was due to preparatory challenges caused by health workers’ protests.
The campaign will run for 18 working days, with the first 10 days dedicated to school-based vaccination and the remaining 8 days for EPI centers. The single-dose injectable vaccine, procured from India through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, provides 3 to 7 years of protection. Online registration is already underway, and authorities confirm the vaccines meet World Health Organization (WHO) safety standards.
Shahbuddin Khan emphasized that the vaccine has been successfully used in countries like Nepal and Pakistan. Typhoid, caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria and spread through contaminated food and water, remains a public health concern. The campaign aims to curb infections while raising awareness about prevention.