Staff Reporter:
Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr. Md. Abu Jafor has said that the month-long typhoid vaccination campaign will begin simultaneously across the country from today.
The vaccination will take place in every school from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
While talking to yesterday, he said the government is providing typhoid vaccines free of cost to about five crore children of the country aged between 9 months to 15 years.
The typhoid vaccination campaign will be inaugurated by Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum at the Salim-ullah Muslim Orphanage in the capital’s Azimpur area. At the same time, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Health Professor Dr. Md Sayedur Rahman will attend the launching of the vaccination cam-paign at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.
Besides, Health Secretary Md Saidur Rahman will be present at Residential Model School and College while the DGHS Director General himself will inaugurate the vaccination programme at an English-medium school in Dhanmondi.
Dr. Jafor said the government, through the Ministry of Health, is providing the typhoid vaccines free of cost nationwide for children aged 9 months to 15 years.
Registration has been going on for the vaccination campaign over the last one month, but children can still receive the vaccines by directly visiting vaccination centers without prior registration.
He said the typhoid vaccine has no known side effects and is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). “Students can safely take this vaccine,” he said urging parents to cooperate in ensuring that their children get vaccinated.
The DGHS chief explained that typhoid spreads primarily through contaminated water, food, and lack of proper hygiene. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, over 7 million people worldwide were infected with typhoid in 2021, resulting in about 93,000 deaths, a significant portion of which oc-curred in South Asia.
He noted that in Bangladesh, children under 15 years old are mostly affected by typhoid fever. A survey revealed that in 2021, about 8,000 people in Bangladesh died from typhoid fever, of whom around 68%—or nearly 6,000—were children under 15 years of age.
Dr. Jafor further said that globally, drug-resistant typhoid has emerged as a major health threat and con-cern. Many commonly used antibiotics are no longer effective against typhoid bacteria leading to a rise in cases of resistant typhoid fever.
He added that receiving the typhoid vaccine will greatly reduce the incidence of the disease and conse-quently decrease the misuse of antibiotics.
In continuation of these efforts, the month-long National Typhoid Vaccination Campaign-2025 will begin across the country from today which is expected to significantly reduce typhoid-related illness and deaths among children.
Under this campaign, each of the five crore targeted children will receive a single, highly effective dose of the typhoid vaccine free of cost, he said.
During the campaign, all students from pre-primary (play, nursery, and kindergarten) to grade nine or equivalent (including madrasa and English-medium institutions) will receive the vaccine at their respec-tive educational institutions. Children aged 9 months to below 15 years who are not enrolled in schools will be vaccinated at community-level EPI centers free of cost.
In coordination with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Education, the Minis-try of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Islamic Foundation, English-medium schools, Qawmi madrasas, Scouts, and Girl Guides, have taken necessary steps to ensure the successful implementation of the vaccination programme.
Moreover, in collaboration with the Department of Social Services, NGO Affairs Bureau, and various NGOs, special arrangements have been made to vaccinate underprivileged children, those living in Bede Palli, tea gardens, orphanages, juvenile development centers, street children, and children residing in brothel areas.
The DGHS chief said the typhoid vaccine is very safe. Nevertheless, committees have been formed at district, upazila, and city corporation levels to tackle any possible adverse events following immuniza-tion (AEFI). Members of all committees have been trained while AEFI kit box and necessary medicines have been supplied to all levels, to ensure that every child receives the typhoid vaccine safely.
