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Immunising one of the world’s largest birth cohorts against polio and pneumococcal disease

In April 2015, Bangladesh took two giant steps toward closing its vaccine gap by introducing two life-saving vaccines simultaneously against polio and the primary cause of fatal pneumonia.

  • With immunisation coverage well above 90%, Bangladesh has a good track record in protecting children like three month-old Saif from vaccine-preventable disease.
  • In early 2015, a nationwide poster campaign announced the addition of two new life-saving vaccines to every Bangladeshi child’s immunisation card: inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and pnuemococcal vaccine.
  • Reaching one of the world’s largest birth cohorts – three million children – especially in heavily populated cities like Dhaka and Chittagong with state of the art vaccines, requires more than posters to reach every child.
  • Mura is one of more than 45,000 community health workers who underpin Bangladesh’s child and maternal health care and play a key role in ensuring parents bring their children to vaccination sessions.
  • For the success of the dual launch, it was vital that health workers could administer the vaccines correctly and answer parents’ questions. Extensive training for both the IPV and pneumococcal vaccines was carried out in advance of the introductions.
  • Strengthening the national cold chain – the equipment that keeps vaccines cool and functional – was vital to protect the new vaccines from temperatures that soar to 40 degrees in the monsoon season.
  • In Dhaka, rickshaws were then used to speed both Muna and her cold boxes, packed with ice and vaccines, through crowded streets to immunisation sessions.
  • At the capital’s EPI centre, Muna completes the job. Thanks to her country’s ambitious immunisation programme and the Vaccine Alliance’s support, five month-old Shivo will grow up safe from polio and many other preventable diseases.
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Last updated: 27 Sep 2019