I’d take the typhoid vaccine first if I could

Primary and Mass Education Adviser Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar said he would “without doubt” be the first to take the typhoid vaccine if he were eligible, urging students and parents to embrace immunization.

He make this remark as the chief guest at the launch of the typhoid vaccination campaign at Dhaka Residential Model College in Mohammadpur on Sunday.

He recalled inaugurating the Covid-19 inoculation at the National Institute of Mental Health during the pandemic by receiving the first dose himself, and said he hoped lingering fears about vaccines would now fade.

The adviser underscored basic prevention measures, noting that typhoid spreads through contaminated food and water.

He urged children to wash hands before eating and to choose fresh food, saying such habits, alongside vaccination, can prevent most infections.

Bangladesh faces a high burden of typhoid, he added, with rising antimicrobial resistance limiting treatment options and leaving young children particularly vulnerable.

Health Service Division Secretary Saidur Rahman attended as special guest. The event, chaired by Dhaka Residential Model College Principal Brigadier General Jaber Hossain, was also joined by Primary and Mass Education Ministry Secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana and Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Imrul Kayes Chowdhury.

The programme concluded with the administration of vaccines to students.

Bangladesh launched its first-ever nationwide typhoid vaccination campaign today, with the goal of immunising 4.9 crore children and adolescents, marking a major milestone in the country's public health efforts.