Across India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is likely to be the only vaccine available, for now, for teens in the age group of 15-18 years.
Tamil Nadu Principal Secretary for Health and Family Welfare Dr J Radhakrishnan told TNM that the state government has identified 33.2 lakh teenagers to be vaccinated starting January 3, 2022. This measure is to be undertaken in keeping with PM Modi’s announcement on December 25 night extending the COVID-19 vaccine programme to the 15 to 18-years-old age group. All states have also been asked to allow a third ‘precautionary shot’ for those above the age of 60 who also have co-morbidities.
Tamil Nadu also needs to persuade the 60+ age group who have only taken their first shot so far —numbering 1.04 crore — to take their follow up doses.
Those born in the year 2007 or earlier are considered eligible in the 15 to 18 age group. Registration will work in the same way as for adults, Dr RS Sharma, CEO of the National Health Advisory, had said earlier. School identity cards will be among the documents accepted as ID proof.
Across India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is likely to be the only vaccine available, for now, for teens in the age group of 15-18 years. The estimated all-India population to be covered in this category is seven to eight crores. Any healthcare and frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age with comorbidities who are eligible for the third dose will be getting the same vaccine that they were administered the first two times, it was earlier reported. The gap between the second and third precautionary dose, is likely to be 9 to 12 months, according to sources. Necessary modifications are will be made to the CoWIN portal to register this new category of vaccination.
Presently, the Tamil Nadu health department is gearing up for the possibility of an Omicron surge in the state with 45 confirmed cases and 118 samples of Covid-19 positive people showing presence of S-gene drop.
Source: The News Minute