A day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the phased reopening of higher educational institutions from October 4, health minister Veena George on Wednesday said that vaccination facilities would be available for final year students to get inoculated before they enter their respective colleges.

The health minister, in a press release, said that all final year students should take at least one dose of the COVID vaccine before entering college.

Meanwhile, Kerala Minister for Higher Education and Social Justice R Bindu, while speaking to reporters here, said that similar to last year, classes would be held either in two shifts or on alternate days. She said that half of the students of each class would be taught during each such shift or on alternate days.

George, in the release, further said that those who were overdue for a second dose should immediately receive it and added that students should contact their nearest health or Asha worker for getting vaccinated at the earliest. She further said that vaccines were available free of charge from government vaccination centres and at government mandated rates from select private hospitals. The minister also said that both COVISHIELD and COVAXIN were equally safe and effective in combating COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the CM had said that all higher education institutions, including technical, polytechnic and medical, will be allowed to function from October 4 for final year students.

He, however, had said that reopening of the institutions would be subject to the condition that all final year students, faculty and staff receive at least the first dose of vaccination.