Typhoid vaccine to join EPI from Aug 1

The government will introduce the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) into Bangladesh’s routine immunisation programme from 1 August, with all children aged 15 months set to receive a single dose through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

The decision was announced in an official directive issued by the EPI on Monday.

The directive, signed by EPI Assistant Director Hasanul Mahmud, said the vaccine would be incorporated into the national immunisation schedule following recommendations by the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee (ICC), chaired by the Secretary of the Health Services Division.

Hasanul Mahmud confirmed the decision, saying the addition of the typhoid conjugate vaccine would increase the number of vaccines under the routine immunisation programme from eight to nine.

According to the directive, the decision followed a review of the latest scientific evidence on the vaccine’s effectiveness and its ability to prevent typhoid.

The EPI said including the vaccine in the routine schedule would provide sustained protection against typhoid among children through regular immunisation.

Children will receive one dose of the vaccine at the age of 15 months at all permanent and temporary EPI vaccination centres across the country.

The vaccine may be administered during the same visit as the second dose of the measles-rubella (MR-2) vaccine.

Bangladesh carried out a nationwide typhoid conjugate vaccine campaign last year to provide long-term protection against typhoid among children.

According to the directive, the campaign successfully vaccinated a large number of children and demonstrated the country’s capacity to implement the programme nationwide.