Bangladesh typhoid vaccine campaign: Bangladesh began a nationwide campaign to vaccinate about 50 million children aged 9 months to 15 years against typhoid, amid growing concerns over drug-resistant strains across South Asia.
The month-long push uses a single dose of the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), WHO-prequalified and offering protection for up to five years, provided free under the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
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Health workers are administering doses in schools, community clinics, and door-to-door visits, prioritising urban slums and remote rural areas. The drive runs until November 13, after which TCV will be added to the routine immunisation schedule.
Officials say the effort is urgent as resistance rises in the region; Pakistan has faced an extensively drug-resistant outbreak since 2016, and Bangladeshi researchers have recently detected ceftriaxone-resistant strains. Supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the campaign aims to cut infections and slow the spread of resistance.
Inaugurating the effort, Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum called it “shameful” that children still die from typhoid, expressing confidence that Bangladesh can tackle the disease, as it has diarrhoea and night blindness. Authorities cited strong safety data from Pakistan, Nepal, and Mumbai, India. The vaccine, developed by the Serum Institute of India, is being supplied through Gavi.
