Bangladesh launched its first nationwide typhoid immunisation drive on Sunday (October 12), aiming to administer a single-dose vaccine free of charge to nearly 5 crore children aged from nine months to under 15 years.

The month-long campaign, which runs through November 13, is part of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). 

Parents and guardians are required to register online with a 17-digit birth registration number via the government portal at vaxepi.gov.bd/registration/tcv, which has been open since August 1. After registration, a vaccine card can be downloaded using the birth registration certificate. 

According to EPI, the rollout will begin with 10 working days of on-site vaccination at schools and madrasas, starting from October 12, followed by eight working days of sessions at EPI centres. 

Over the full campaign period, delivery will take place across educational institutions, fixed immunisation posts and community sites in both rural and urban areas. 

The programme will use a single injectable dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV), which protects for an estimated three to seven years. The vaccine—manufactured by Biological E. Limited of India (brand: TYPHIBEV)—is WHO-prequalified and recommended as safe and effective. 

International partners are supporting the effort, with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF backing Bangladesh’s introduction and readiness activities, including the expansion of the cold chain ahead of the campaign. 

Health officials say the campaign targets all children aged nine months to under 15 years, for a total of 4,89,18,704 recipients. Citing the country’s strong record on routine immunization, they indicated that the TCV could later be moved into the regular schedule. 

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum urged community leaders and the media to counter misinformation. At the same time, Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, described immunisation as the sector’s most successful programme. 

Global and national disease data underscore the rationale for the drive. The Global Burden of Disease 2021 estimates millions of typhoid cases and tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year, with a heavy concentration in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa; Bangladesh research indicates a substantial share of cases occurs among children under 15.

SMS/