Teenagers between the age of 15 and 18 are now receiving their vaccines in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as the two states kicked off vaccination drives on Monday, January 3. In Telangana, about 15 lakh children are eligible to get the jab while the number of children in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is 24 lakh.
Health authorities in both states have made elaborate arrangements for administering vaccines to the targetted group. Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao launched the vaccination drive in Hyderabad. Health officials in Telangana set up 1,014 centres in primary health centres, community health centres and government-run hospitals to give vaccines to teenagers. In Andhra Pradesh, authorities have made arrangements for vaccination at village and ward secretariats.
Officials have ensured the presence of doctors at vaccinations centres as a precautionary measure to handle any side effects. No such case was reported from anywhere till 2 pm. All the eligible children are being administered Covaxin. The second dose will be given after four weeks.
Harish Rao appealed to parents and teachers to encourage children to take the vaccine. Stating that the vaccine offers the best protection from the COVID-19 infection, he said principals and teachers of all colleges should take a special interest in making the programme successful. The minister appealed to people to adhere to all COVID-19 safety guidelines in view of the increasing number of COVID cases and the fast-spreading new variant, Omicron.
Harish Rao urged people to follow all precautions as the COVID positivity rate in the country and in the state has increased four times during the last week. The minister said that Telangana has already achieved 100 per cent vaccination of the first dose and is ahead of several states in second dose vaccination. He urged people who are due for a second dose to come forward and take the jab.
He said that the booster dose for those aged above 60 years and healthcare/frontline workers will be administered from January 10. Telangana's Director of Public Health, Dr G Srinivasa Rao, said that in Hyderabad and 11 other municipal corporations, vaccines are being given to those who have registered on the CoWin Portal. Steps have been taken to avoid gatherings at vaccination centres. However, the rest of the state authorities were allowing walk-ins
