School student vaccination as soon as registration ends: Health Minister

Student vaccination will start once the ICT ministry has a list of 12-17 year old school students from the education ministry.

The education ministry is supposed to send the list by 30 October.

Health Minister Zahid Malek said this at the inaugural ceremony of National Deworming Week organised at a hotel in the capital on Thursday.

The health ministers said about 30 million vaccine doses are needed for our 15 million school students and that we are ready to vaccinate students, having got the Pfizer vaccine.

"We are now waiting for student registration to be done and completed by the ICT ministry. Vaccination will start as soon as registration is done," he added.

At the event, Professor Dr Nazmul Islam, director of the disease control branch of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said the 25th National Worm Control Programme will be carried out simultaneously at the primary and secondary educational institutions of the country from 30 October to 5 November. All children 5 to 11 years of age at all primary educational institutions of the country, and all children ages 12 to 16 years, at all secondary level educational institutions will be given one dose of the deworming drug (Mebendazol 500 mg).

Earlier, on 14 October, 120 students at four schools in Manikganj were given a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. They are now under observation for 10-14 days. On the same day, Zahid Malek said that after the observation period, vaccination of the 12 to 17 year age group will commence all across the country.

Blindness reduces by 35% in the country

Health Minister Zahid Malek said the prevalence of blindness has decreased by 35% and the prevalence of bilateral cataract blindness has decreased by 18% in the country.

He said this on a virtual discussion organised by National Eye Care of the DGHS on the occasion of World Sight Day on Thursday morning.

The health minister said various types of eye services are being provided by 90 community vision centres in different districts and upazilas of the country. With this free medical service, people are getting rid of various eye diseases including blindness and cataract problems. An initiative has been taken to set up several thousand centres in phases.

Zahid Malek said the country's health sector has adequate infrastructure and equipment but lacks trained manpower, including doctors. He said the administration has built a lot of infrastructure and bought a lot of equipment but could not create as much manpower. He said they are now focusing on the issue and have created a new organogram in 2020, highlighting the manpower required in the health sector. It has been sent to the prime minister.