Indore (Madhya Pradesh): It’s getting tough for the administration to achieve 100 per cent vaccination for school students in the age group of 15 to 18 years. Despite efforts, more than 69,000 such teenagers have not even taken their first dose. Failing to reach out to students in many areas and because of the aversion to vaccines of a specific community, the administration has involved religious leaders and schools to help in achieving targets. Schools have been instructed to track drop-out students, reach them, counsel them and facilitate vaccination with health department teams.
The administration has set the Covid-19 vaccination target for adolescents of 15-18 years at 100% at the earliest possible opportunity.
Vaccination mostly remains incomplete of 69,000 children who are not going to school, according to government officials’ statements. Aiming to vaccinate such children, another drive with the help of NGOs is being run in the city. Under this drive, a vaccination van is visiting various areas after analysis and counselling in the areas. Children living on the streets or in the slum areas are also on this list. Their families are told how it is more essential for them to be vaccinated for the betterment of everyone and themselves.
‘Schools tracking deviant students’
‘With the aim of achieving 100 per cent vaccination to 15-18 year old children in the district, schools are sending messages to all the students of schools in that age group. However, the challenge is to track and counsel drop-out students. Most students in private schools in the age group of 15 years to 18 years have taken the first jab and drop-outs are hard to find and reach. To find the students, the previous year’s records are being analysed. We’re doing our bit, but for those who don’t want to get vaccinated, a counselling team of the district administration has to reach out to their families’ — Gopal Soni, state vice-president of the MP Board Private Schools’ Association
‘Drive convinced about 90 children’
‘The Child Line, Women and Child Development Department, jointly with the municipal corporation and the health department, is conducting this drive with help from the school education department. The drive has already been launched in the Khajrana Chowraha, Baba’s Bagh, Jhala Colony, Mayapuri and Manasab Nagar. Under the drive, we were able to convince and vaccinate about 90 children in the age group of 15 years and 18 years till now’ — Coordinator Rahul Gothane.
