Moderna will be given as booster dose instead of Pfizer

The Department of Health has made some changes to the ongoing booster dose program to prevent coronavirus in people over 60 across the country. From now on, vaccine centers have been instructed to give Moderna vaccine instead of Pfizer as a booster dose of coronavirus vaccine.

The directive was issued on Wednesday (January 12) to directors of various government medical college hospitals, chief health officers of city colleges, government general hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, 250-bed hospitals, civil surgeons, upazila health and family welfare officers and medical officers of all municipalities.

Only school and college going students will have Pfizer vaccine as first and second dose and also second dose for those who got first dose of Pfizer.

The directive, sent by Dr. Md. Shamsul Haque, MNC&AH's line director at the Department of Health and member secretary of the Covid-19 vaccine management task force committee, said that “The Covid-19 vaccination program is directed to provide Moderna vaccine instead of Pfizer as the third dose or booster dose at all levels of the country.”

As of Wednesday, 5,40,526 people across the country had been given booster doses, according to the Department of Health. Among them, the highest number of 2 lakh 70 thousand 462 people got the Pfizer vaccine.

In addition, 2,47,330 Oxford-AstraZeneca and 22,734 Moderna vaccines were given as booster dose.