The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) schedule in Bangladesh includes vaccinations against various diseases. Here’s a general outline of the schedule:
Vaccine | Diseases prevented | No. of doses: | Interval between doses | Starting time of doses | Route |
BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) | Tuberculosis | 1 | N/A | At birth | Intradermal |
OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) | Poliomyelitis (Polio) | 5 | 6 weeks apart | At birth | Oral (drops) |
Pentavalent Vaccine (DTP-HepB-Hib) | Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) | 3 | 6 weeks apart (1st, 2nd), 6 months after the 2nd dose (3rd) | At 6 weeks of age | Intramuscular |
PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) | Pneumonia, Meningitis, Otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae | 3 (some schedules may include a booster dose) | 4 weeks apart (1st, 2nd), booster dose after 9 months | At 6 weeks of age | Intramuscular |
Rotavirus Vaccine | Severe diarrhea caused by Rotavirus | 2 or 3 (depends on the type of vaccine used) | 4 weeks apart (for Rotarix), 8 weeks apart (for Rotateq) | At 6 weeks of age | Oral (liquid drops) |
Measles Vaccine (Measles-Rubella combined) | Measles, Rubella | 2 | At least 4 weeks apart | At 9 months of age | Subcutaneous |