Rohingya children on Bhasan Char get routine vaccines

The government is providing vaccines to the Rohingya children on Bhasan Char through a routine childhood immunisation programme this week, a Unicef release said Thursday.

The Unicef is providing technical and financial assistance to the government in support of childhood immunisations on Bhasan Char.

While Rohingya children have received some vaccinations since arriving on the island through two adhoc campaigns, this week marks the inauguration of the first regular childhood immunisation programme on Bhasan Char, the release added.

"Lost ground means lost lives. Rohingya children on Bhasan Char need their childhood immunisations or the consequences can be deadly," said George Laryea-Adjei, the Unicef regional director for South Asia.

"No matter how challenging or remote the setting, we must do everything possible to reach the most at-risk and marginalised boys and girls, regardless of who they are or where they are," said the Unicef regional director.

George Laryea joined the government healthworkers delivering child vaccinations during his visit to Bhasan Char on 20-21 April.

"The routine childhood vaccination programme on Bhasan Char follows the Bangladesh government's national Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). This includes vaccinations against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis-B, Hib, polio, pneumonia, tuberculosis, measles and rubella," said Dr Md Shamsul Haque, line director MNCAH. 

The immunisation programme comes just ahead of the worldwide commemoration of World Immunisation Week – celebrated every year in the last week of April, with an aim to draw the world's attention to the millions of children still missing out on life-saving vaccines.