Nationwide Typhoid Vaccination Drive Begins for Children

The government on Sunday launched the country’s first-ever nationwide typhoid vaccination campaign, aiming to immunise around 4.9 crore children aged between nine months and under 15 years.

The month-long drive, which began this morning, will continue across Bangladesh until 13 November, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s public health initiative.

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum formally inaugurated the campaign at the Sir Salimullah Muslim Orphanage in Azimpur, Dhaka, where hundreds of parents and children gathered for the event. The nationwide campaign will be conducted free of cost, with trained health workers administering the injectable vaccine at community clinics, schools, hospitals, and vaccination centres.

Children without birth certificates will also be eligible to receive the vaccine to ensure no one is left behind, officials confirmed.

The vaccine, developed by the Serum Institute of India, has been provided to Bangladesh by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, under its global immunisation support programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the vaccine is both safe and effective, and has already been successfully introduced in eight other countries, including Nepal and Pakistan.

“The vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has shown excellent safety records in countries where it has been rolled out. No significant side effects have been reported,” he added.

Public health experts have welcomed the initiative, calling it a landmark step in reducing typhoid-related illness and mortality among children. Typhoid, a water- and food-borne disease, continues to pose a serious health threat, particularly in densely populated urban areas with poor sanitation.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said that over 100,000 vaccination centres have been set up across the country, supported by community health workers and volunteers.

Officials urged parents to ensure that their children receive the vaccine within the campaign period to help protect the next generation from typhoid fever, which remains one of the most common causes of child morbidity in South Asia.

With this campaign, Bangladesh joins the growing list of countries taking proactive steps to eliminate preventable childhood diseases through expanded immunisation coverage.