To vaccinate children between 15-18 years of age by January end, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has now decided to activate 350 vaccine centres for children where special vaccine sessions will be organised in the afternoon or the evening. So far 1.90 lakh children have been vaccinated in the last 17 days, which means only 20.70 per cent of 9.18 lakh targeted children have taken a jab. Moreover, they have also started to organise vaccine camps at public and private-run schools and educational institutes.
Civic officials said currently they have more than two lakh doses of Covaxin which is being utilised for children and other groups of beneficiaries. However to avoid any delay in vaccinating children with the first dose by January end they are ramping up their preparations.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said earlier the city had a limited number of centres for children’s vaccination compared to other districts due to which Mumbai is lagging. But now they have decided to set up special sessions at 350 vaccine centres where Covaxin will be given.
“We have now set up vaccination centres in schools and colleges to increase the vaccination drive for teenagers. Moreover, children can now visit our jumbo centres to take the jab,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior health experts have urged children and their parents to come forward and get their children vaccinated stating that the covid infection rate amongst the children increased compared to the second wave.
“Mostly, teen and pre-teen individuals who have not been vaccinated and thus lack protective antibodies, are getting infected. However, the trend is not alarming and young patients have mild symptoms,” he said.
A senior civic official said the BMC had followed the advice of the state task force members who had said that children should be given the vaccine in a controlled environment to avoid any untoward incident. "Clearly, the limited access resulted in poor uptake," said the official who didn't want to be identified. "Moreover, the import of someone fainting doesn't reduce whether it happens in a jumbo centre or a sub-centre," the official added.
