Shyam Sood
Rajouri, Jan 2: Rajouri district is all set to begin the new drive of vaccination for children aged 15-18 years in Rajouri district from Monday i.e January 3.
All children, whose birth year is 2007 or before, shall be eligible for the vaccination,.
COVID vaccination for children aged 15-18 will be done with Covaxin and registration for the same started from Sunday, January 1, on the CoWIN platform while ‘walk-in-registration is also available in the district according to Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
According to District Health Department, separate teams have been constituted for the administration of Covaxin to children in the special sessions to be held in the identified government /private schools across the district in the 6 Health Blocks.
As per the ‘action plan’ prepared for the administration of Covid-19 vaccine to children, about 32,158 children aged between 15-18 years have been identified to administer the vaccine.
Concerned teachers (of both government & private) have been asked to motivate the parents/ children and to bring the students to the school for the vaccination.
According to ‘action plan’ 10,802 students aged between 15-18 years of various institutions, schools have been identified for vaccination in Darhal Health Block, 4489 in Nowshera Health block, 2899 in Sunderbani, 3624 in Kandi, 5812 in Manjakot, and 4532 in Kalakot Health block.
On Saturday, Vikas Kundal, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajouri reviewed the preparations for inoculation of children in the 15-18 age group.
He also set a six-day timeline for administering the first dose to age-appropriate children.
Vikas Kundal, DC asked the heads of Educational institutions to identify the number of children falling under the 15-17 year age bracket so as to ensure their vaccination within the shortest possible time.
“Also identify the school dropouts in the targeted age group and share the list with the Health Department to cover them at the earliest,” said the DC.
The DC directed the concerned authorities to make synergize efforts to accelerate the process with a special focus on targeted groups in addition to the ongoing vaccination drive.
Stressing on ensuring strict adherence to COVID protocols, the DC directed the officers not to lower the guard and continue to maintain the highest level of alertness to ensure the implementation of SOPs. He also asked for strict action against the violators of COVID SOPs.
If reliable sources are to be believed, like a vaccination for above/ below 60 years and 18-45 years of age groups, the authorities will face problems in vaccinating the children in Muslim-dominated areas.
