Tirupati: Covid vaccination for 15-18 age group to begin today

Tirupati: The vaccination for children aged between 15 and 18 years is all set to begin on Monday across the country. Registration on the Co-Win portal for taking the jab began on Saturday itself though it is learnt that even without registration children can walk into the nearest vaccination centre to take the shot.

Chittoor district administration has made elaborate arrangements to administer the vaccine to children. District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr U Sreehari told The Hans India that taking ward and village secretariats as criteria the vaccination programme will be undertaken. District Collector M Hari Narayanan has been monitoring the process personally with the education department, universities and medical and education health department.

The DM&HO said the shots will be given to children by entering their parents mobile numbers and all concerned staff were trained on how to bring the children to vaccination centres duly following the Covid appropriate behaviour. The district has a total of 2,03,663 children in the age group of 15-18 years. MEOs will be the nodal officers for Children vaccination programme and they have to identify those born before 2007 for registration in the Co-win portal. They have to bring awareness among the parents also on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

All the children will be given only Covaxin doses and the district has a adequate number of doses. As of now, about 1.47 lakh doses of Covaxin are available in the district while more stocks will be coming soon. Initially, the drive will be taken up from January 3 to 5 with an aim of achieving 100 percent target. The precautionary doses for the healthcare and frontline workers along with those, who are 60 plus and having comorbid conditions will be administered from January 10. By that date 20,764 healthcare workers, 20,001 frontline workers and 3,104 people in the age group of above 60 and having comorbidities will become eligible as booster doses will be given only after nine months of taking the second dose.

To a question, the DM&HO said the district has achieved 100.01 percent in giving the first dose of vaccine to the eligible people. Out of 33,87,420 people, it has administered 33,87,814 doses. However, second dose vaccination has yet to achieve 100 percent mark as only 82 percent has been completed till now. Efforts were on to vaccinate the remaining people too very soon.