Marking the occasion of New Year, India on Saturday, January 01, 2022, started the registration for COVID-19 vaccination for those between 15-18 years group on the Cowin portal.
Taking to Twitter, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya called on family members to register their children in the said age group for the immunization drive.
According to the data by Health Ministry, other than registering via the Cowin portal beneficiaries can also have walk-in registration for vaccination. The Health Ministry further stated the beneficiary can avail of the second dose of the vaccine only after 28 days.
The Government earlier on December 25, 2021, approved the vaccination for children in the age group of 15 to 18 years amidst the Omicron worries in the country.
The Health Ministry in its guidelines released said, the administration of vaccines between the 15-18 years age group will start from January 3, 2021, and will be administered with Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’ doses only.
Clearing the air over COVAXIN doses to be administered among kids, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, former head scientist of the Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division at the Indian Council of Medical Research in an exclusive conversation with PBNS, said, “Some parents fear about their side effects. But we must remember that the approved vaccine Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine.”
We have used inactivated vaccines for other infections in the past in children and found them to be safe. Also, that Covaxin was found to be safe when given to crores of adults in India,” Dr. Gangakhedkar added.
Further emphasizing the importance of the vaccination, Dr. Gangakhedkar said, it is important that one should administer the vaccines (COVAXIN- as approved by the Government of India) to children as soon as possible.
“By vaccinating children you add an extra measure of protecting your children from the virus. Also, the vaccination will protect the younger population from acquiring the infection, bring it into their families, and increase the risk among the elderly and those with co-morbidities in the family.
Earlier on December 28, Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan chaired a workshop via video conferencing with all states and UTs to review the rollout of vaccination for the age group 15-18 and precautionary dose for vulnerable categories to be started from January 10, 2022.
During the briefing, the Centre further requested states to set up separate dedicated COVID Vaccination Centers for 15-18 years age group and separate vaccination teams to ensure that there is no confusion in administering the vaccines.
