Shortage of doses, endless lines at vaccination centres

Overcrowding, long queues, breach of safety protocol, and shortage of doses forced many to go back without taking the jab from centres during the mass vaccination drive in Dhaka on Sunday.

Many vaccination centres ran out of doses two or three hours after the vaccination began.

Volunteers struggled to cope with the huge number of vaccine aspirants, many of whom grew agitated when it became clear they would not get the shot.

Large number of people wait in line to get their Covid-19 vaccine card from the office of a Dhaka ward councillor on Sunday, August 8, 2021 | Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
 Meanwhile, many vaccine seekers in Dhaka claimed that people “favoured by local representatives” were prioritized for the allotted doses instead of the eligible citizens.

Also Read - Mass vaccination drive plagued by overcrowding, chaos, safety protocol breaches

They said that the authorities allowed some people, sent by public representatives, get the jabs instead of letting others enter.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a total of 2,836,970 Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered on the first day of the countrywide inoculation drive.

Large number of people wait in line to get their Covid-19 vaccine card from the office of a Dhaka ward councillor on Sunday, August 8, 2021 | Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneAs many as 27,079 people took their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday. So far, 5,820,063 people have taken the first dose of AstraZeneca while the second dose was taken by 4,371,310 people.

The second dose of Pfizer was taken by 4,674 people. And so far 61,697 doses of Pfizer have been given.

Also Read - Health authorities plan to inoculate 3.2 million people in mass vaccination drive

Besides, 5,931,326 doses of Sinopharrm vaccine have been given till now.

People anxiously wait outside the vaccination centre set up at the Sadeque Hossain Khoka Community Centre in the capital’s Gopibagh area on Sunday, August 8, 2021 | Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

The nationwide walk-in vaccination campaign is set to run for the next five days. The minimum age to receive a shot has been set at 25, and national identity cards (NIDs) are mandatory.

People over 50 are being prioritized for the jabs.

The government plans to inoculate at least 3.2 million people through the ongoing campaign.