Guj govt to set up COVID-19 vaccination camps at schools

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government will set up camps at schools to inoculate as many as 35 lakh children in the 15 to 18 years age group, a senior official said here on Tuesday.

Online registration for vaccination will start from January 1.

As per the guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, children in this age group will receive only Covaxin doses.

“Online registration will begin from January 1, but on-site registration is also available. We will approach schools in coordination with the education department to cover an estimated 34-35 lakh beneficiaries,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Manoj Aggarwal.

“We are making preparations to set up camps at schools. Vaccination teams will cover schools in a cluster of villages…We have enough stock of Covaxin and will be able to provide vaccines to children starting January 3,” he told reporters.

Children will also be covered under the health department’s door-to-door vaccination campaign, Aggarwal said, speaking after a video-conference with the Union health secretary.

Gujarat has a stock of at least 45 lakh vaccine doses at present, he informed.

Currently, 6.80 lakh persons in the categories of healthcare workers, frontline staff and senior citizens with comorbidities are eligible in the state for `precaution dose’ (third dose) of vaccines which is to be administered nine months after the second dose, Aggarwal said.

“A total of 6.24 lakh healthcare and 13.44 lakh frontline workers have received first and second doses in Gujarat…3.21 lakh healthcare workers and 3.19 lakh frontline staff will be eligible for the booster dose by January 10,” the official added.

Also, at least 37,000 senior citizens will be eligible for the booster dose by January 10.

“There are 65.42 lakh people aged 60 and above in Gujarat, and a majority of them have received their second dose. At least 20 per cent are likely to be comorbid, which comes to around 13 lakh,” he said.

As per the Union government guidelines, eligible persons can book precaution doses through their existing Co-WIN account.

Eligibility will be based on the date of second dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system which will send an SMS when the dose is due.