Live Correspondent: A total of 31,160 people got COVID-19 vaccine jabs on the first day of the countrywide mass vaccination on Sunday. Among them, 23,857 were males and 7,303 females, said a Director General of Health Services release.

Among the immunised persons, 5,071 are from Dhaka. ‘People were conservative in getting the vaccine shots on the first day,’ DGHS director for disease control Nazmul Islam told New Age in the evening.

‘Many were concerned about side-effects. I hope people will get encouragement in the coming days after seeing so many dignitaries taking the vaccine,’ he said.

The official, however, did not disclose the number of people they informed through short message services for immunisation on the day.

Nazmul said they had an arrangement of vaccinating more than 1.5 lakh people. Bangladesh started nationwide vaccination against COVID-19 on Sunday.

Health minister Zahid Maleque inaugurated the vaccination virtually at the DGHS in Dhaka at around 10:00am before he took the jab at Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital.

‘This is a day of joy for us…we’ve waited for this day,’ the minister said, calling on people to get the vaccine.

Education minister Dipu Moni, Gazipur city mayor Jahangir Alam and former food minister Qamrul Islam joined the health minister via video conference at the health directorate during the inauguration of vaccination drive.