Bangladesh begins cholera vaccination drive for 5.2M people
Two-dose campaign targets communities identified as most vulnerable to cholera as Bangladesh begins five-year effort to expand protection against waterborne disease
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh has launched a major cholera vaccination campaign targeting nearly 5.2 million people in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities, part of a broader effort to prevent outbreaks of the potentially deadly waterborne disease.
The first round of vaccinations began Friday, Aug. 22, across 14 areas identified as facing particularly high cholera risks. The campaign will provide free oral vaccines to people aged one year and older, with pregnant women excluded.
The drive follows a government health study that identified 144 areas across Bangladesh as cholera hotspots, according to The Daily Star.
The findings prompted authorities to develop a five-year vaccination plan aimed at gradually extending protection to communities considered particularly vulnerable to outbreaks.
The campaign is beginning with 14 of the highest-risk areas, including densely populated parts of the capital Dhaka and communities in Munshiganj, Kishoreganj, Narayanganj and Brahmanbaria districts.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain, who formally launched the campaign, said Bangladesh needed to remain vigilant despite having brought cholera largely under control because outbreaks continue to occur.
About 1.17 million people are being targeted in 17 wards of southern Dhaka alone, where authorities have established 192 vaccination centers. Other parts of the capital covered by the campaign include areas in northern Dhaka.
The first dose will be administered through Sept. 21, followed by a second round from Sept. 26 to Oct. 25. Health authorities said recipients need both doses, given at least 14 days apart, to obtain full protection.
The oral vaccine used in the campaign has been prequalified by the World Health Organization. It is designed to protect against cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Health officials said the vaccine can provide protection for three to five years while also reducing the severity of the disease.
Cholera remains closely associated with inadequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, making densely populated and underserved communities particularly susceptible when the bacteria contaminate water or food supplies.
Bangladeshi authorities have therefore cautioned that vaccination cannot by itself eliminate the threat. Alongside the immunization campaign, officials are urging communities to use safe drinking water and maintain proper sanitation and hygiene to reduce the conditions that allow cholera to spread.
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