Bangladesh Launches 2026 Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has officially inaugurated the Preventive Oral Cholera Vaccination Campaign-2026 at a special ceremony held at the Dhaka South City Corporation auditorium in Dhaka. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain formally launched the nationwide public health initiative, which is designed to curb the prevalence of cholera in identified high-risk zones across the country.

According to the official program details released by health authorities, the comprehensive vaccination drive will be conducted across fourteen vulnerable upazilas and police stations nationwide. Organizers have set an ambitious target to bring a total of 5.175 million people under the vaccination coverage. The rollout is scheduled in two distinct phases to ensure maximum participation and proper administration of the doses.

The first dose of the oral cholera vaccine will be administered to the public starting from August 22 and will continue through September 21, 2026. Following the initial rollout, the second dose administration will commence shortly after, running from September 26 to October 25, 2026. Authorities confirmed that the vaccine will be provided entirely free of cost to all eligible citizens aged one year and above, with the strict exception of pregnant women.

Focusing on the capital's specific requirements, the Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation areas have made extensive localized arrangements. Within the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation alone, the campaign will operate across 192 centers distributed throughout 17 wards in four designated police stations. Through this targeted urban network, approximately 1.17 million residents are expected to receive the preventative oral vaccine.

To streamline the distribution and ensure orderly access, the government has instituted a mandatory digital registration process. Citizens wishing to receive the immunization must register beforehand utilizing the designated VaxEPI platform. This digital approach aims to manage crowds efficiently and maintain accurate health records throughout the duration of the multi-week immunization drive.

Addressing the gathering during the inauguration ceremony, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain emphasized that while immunization is critical, it must be viewed as part of a broader health strategy. He stated, 'Prevention of cholera is not achieved through vaccination alone; I want to emphasize this point particularly, as the vaccine is extremely important for preventing cholera, but the vaccine alone is not enough.'