Bangladesh will begin a nationwide typhoid vaccination campaign on September 1 under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), targeting nearly 50 million children aged between nine months and just under 16 years.

Registration for the programme opened on August 1. Children without a birth registration certificate will also be eligible, with parents able to register them using a mobile phone number. 

According to EPI Programme Manager Dr Abul Fazal Md Shahabuddin Khan, vaccination will be carried out in school-based camps during the first 10 working days of September. Children not attending school will be vaccinated over the following eight days at EPI centres.

Registration can be completed at https://vaxepi.gov.bd/registration/tcv. Once registered, parents can download the vaccine card; those using a birth certificate for registration will receive the card immediately.

The injectable single-dose vaccine, provided with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is expected to offer three to seven years of protection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes typhoid as a systemic infection caused by Salmonella Typhi bacteria, typically spread through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include prolonged fever, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and sometimes constipation or diarrhoea. These symptoms are often non-specific, making the disease difficult to distinguish from other febrile illnesses.

Dr Nizam Uddin Ahmed, chair of the Gavi CSO Steering Committee, assured the public that the vaccine is “completely safe” and widely used globally. “It was previously tested in Bangladesh, including a pilot project in Tangail before the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was once only available privately, the government will now provide it free of charge to 45–50 million children,” he said.

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