Bangladesh on Sunday launched its first nationwide typhoid immunization campaign, aiming to vaccinate nearly 50 million children from Oct. 12 to Nov. 13 through the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization.
The vaccine drive targets children aged 9 months to under 15 years, officials said. Parents must register online using a 17-digit birth registration number at vaxepi.gov.bd/registration/tcv
The campaign begins with 10 working days of school- and madrasa-based immunization, followed by eight days at EPI centers, fixed posts and community sites nationwide. Health officials said the vaccine being used, TYPHIBEV, a typhoid conjugate vaccine manufactured by Biological E. Limited in India, is prequalified by the World Health Organization and offers protection for an estimated three to seven years.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF are supporting cold chain expansion and logistical operations for the rollout.
Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum called on community leaders and the media to help counter misinformation, while Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser on health, said immunization remains one of the country’s most successful public health programs.
Typhoid remains endemic in Bangladesh, with a significant disease burden. The Global Burden of Disease study in 2019 estimated an incidence of 304 cases per 100,000 people, resulting in approximately 485,564 infections and 7,567 deaths that year. Nearly 70 percent of deaths occurred in children under 15.
Recent disease surveillance in Dhaka found an adjusted typhoid incidence of 913 cases per 100,000 person-years, while studies in slum communities reported rates as high as 390 per 100,000 among some age groups.
Children under age 5 are especially vulnerable, due in part to overcrowded living conditions, poor access to safe water and sanitation, and increasing resistance to antibiotics, according to health experts.