The health authorities have included the single-dose typhoid vaccine in the routine immunisation programme from August this year for children aged up to 15 months, according to an official order issued on Monday.
“The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) will be rolled out nationwide from August 1. We have sent directives to all upazila-level health offices in a circular. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) had earlier decided to launch it from January, but it was delayed due to the measles outbreak,” Hasanul Mahmud, assistant director of EPI, told the Financial Express (FE).
Earlier last year, the authorities ran a trial campaign before launching the regular programme.
To provide long-term protection to children in the country from the risk of typhoid fever, the TCV is being included in the regular immunisation programme from August 1. Under this, all children aged 15 months will be given the vaccine, the circular said.
TCV will be administered to children at all permanent and temporary vaccination centres across the country. It can be given simultaneously with the measles-rubella (MR-2) vaccine during the same vaccination session.
A digital tracking system has been strengthened to ensure the smooth conduct of the vaccination programme. Field workers will go door to door to prepare a list of children aged 15 months and ensure their registration through the 'VaxEPI' app.
The typhoid conjugate vaccine is being added as part of a continuous initiative to include new and effective vaccines in the regular immunisation programme to strengthen the health protection of children in the country, the circular said.
