Covid vaccination for children, booster doses: PM Modi's big announcements
1 min read . Updated: 26 Dec 2021, 05:45 AM IST
Premium- The country will start another vaccination programme to inoculate the children aged 15-18 years from January 3, 2022.
- Citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities will also have the option of taking “precaution dose”
Amid Omicron surge in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation today, announced that India will start another vaccination programme to inoculate the children aged 15-18 years from January 3, 2022.
He also said citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities will also have the option of taking "precaution dose" of the vaccine on the advice of their doctor. “This will also be available from January 10," the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister said healthcare and frontline workers have made a huge contribution to keep the country safe in fight against Covid-19. “Therefore, from the point of view of precaution, the government has decided that precaution dose of vaccine will also be started for healthcare and frontline workers. It will be started from January 10," he added.
“In India too, many people have been found to be infected with Omicron. I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Masks and washing hands occasionally, remember these things," he said.
He said to date, more than 61 per cent of India's adult population has received both doses of the vaccine. Also, about 90 per cent of the adult population has received a single dose of the vaccine.
The Prime Minister said the experience of fighting the coronavirus global epidemic so far shows that following all the guidelines at the individual level is a great weapon to fight the virus. “And the second weapon is vaccination," he added.
Also read: PM Modi announces vaccination for children, booster dose as Omicron cases rise
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcements come after Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) today for emergency use for kids aged between 12-18 years, reports suggest. Earlier, Bharat Biotech had submitted data from clinical trials in the 2-18 years age group for COVAXIN (BBV152) to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
As per the Union Health Ministry, India has reported 7,189 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The nationwide case tally of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has reached 415.
Also read: PM Modi announces vaccination for children aged 15-18 years
