THE government has set an ambitious target of administering typhoid vaccines to 50 million children and adolescents, aged between nine months and 15 years, under an Expanded Programme on Immunisation campaign that would begin on October 12. But the response to the campaign has so far been reserved. The Directorate General of Health Services says that a little more than two million children and adolescents have so far registered for the vaccination in 22 days of the registration process that began on August 1. Typhoid is a bacteria-borne disease which is still a threat to public health as Bangladesh counts, as the 2019 estimation of the Global Burden of Disease says, half a million typhoid cases and a little more than 7,500 death caused by typhoid every year. The disease is a life-threatening infection which spreads through contaminated food or water. With food safety issues having already gone awry and in the absence of any government efforts to ensure food safety, the disease could weigh heavily on public health. Viewed in this context, the plan to vaccinate about 50 million people is a good step forward in the government鈥檚 fight against typhoid.
As for reserved response to the initiative, many parents say that they are still not certain about having their children administered the vaccine, which is produced by Biological E Ltd in India and has reportedly been used on a small scale in some third world countries. Many are sceptical about whether the children would face any side effects of the vaccine whilst some doubt if the vaccine has any efficacy at all. Some would wait to see whether the vaccine would have any impact on health. Experts, however, say that the vaccine, developed by Glaxo Smith Kline Vaccines Institute for Global Health in Italy before being licensed for production, meets the World Health Organisation standards. It has already been administered in countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, Liberia and Zimbabwe and it can help to reduce fatalities caused by typhoid. Whilst pharmacists say that the vaccine could cause mild to moderate side effects such as pain, redness of the skin or swelling at the site of injection and, in certain individuals, a headache, EPI officials say that they have teams ready to monitor and support in the event of such side effects after immunisation. What appears to lie at the heart of the reserved response is, rather, lack of awareness campaigns.
The registration will run during 18 days of the vaccination campaign, first 10 days at schools and madrassahs and the next eight days at EPI centres. The government should, therefore, step up its awareness campaigns to convince people to register for typhoid vaccination that could lessen burdens on public health.