Odisha gears up for COVID vaccination of 15-18 age group children

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has initiated preparation for administering COVID-19 vaccine to the children belonging to the age group of 15-18 years.

Odisha Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra today said, “We have sought district-wise details of children in the 15-18 age group. We have sufficient manpower to conduct the vaccination drive. If required, more manpower will be roped in.”

“Apart from the vaccination for the children, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced booster dose for healthcare and frontline workers. We are yet to receive the detailed guidelines. After receiving it, we will plan accordingly,” he added.

Worth mentioning, the PM yesterday announced that precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to healthcare and frontline workers in the country from 10th January, 2022. This has been done in the light of the amount of time the frontline workers and healthcare workers spend in the service of COVID patients.

Modi also announced that option of precaution dose will be available for senior citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities on the advice of their doctors from 10th January, 2022.

He also said that vaccination will start for the children in the age group of 15-18 years from 3rd January, 2022.

The country is currently staring at a possible third wave of Covid-19 amid growing concerns over the spread of the new strain — Omicron.

In his message to the nation, the Prime Minister also urged people not to panic amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant, and appealed to everyone to stay alert, wash hands and make full use of masks.

Notably, the Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin on Saturday got approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use for the 12-18 age group.

The vaccine manufacturer had submitted data from clinical trials in the 12-18 age group for Covaxin (BBV152) to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Bharat Biotech had said earlier that the data was reviewed by the CDSCO and the Subject Experts Committee (SEC), which provided their positive recommendations.