More than five crore youngsters have been partially vaccinated since January 3, accounting for India’s 67.5% of adolescents being partially immunized.

Assessment of data from the last two years showed 75% of deaths in all children due to Covid-19 were among 15-18 years. Experts said that around 10-15% of children between 15 - 18 years also had co-morbidities, which made them at greater risk. Many states were resuming offline classes in schools and other educational institutions and these adolescents of 15-17 years of age were the most vulnerable and at risk of severe disease and death due to the infection in the absence of vaccination.

But, the second dose coverage for children between 15 - 18 years was slow and accounted for only 91 lakh fully vaccinated till Tuesday 7 pm. Since two doses of Covaxin are given in 28 days apart, over two crore youngsters who received the first dose of the vaccine during the first week of the programme are now due for their second dose. So the Centre has asked the states to speed up coverage of the second dose among those eligible for the same. The health ministry has projected around 7.4 crore adolescents in the 15-17 age group across the country.

More than 170.71 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered across the country. This included the coverage of nearly 96% of adults with at least one dose of the jabs and over 76% of adults vaccinated with two doses. It also included 1.56 crore "precaution" or third doses given to health and frontline workers and people above 60 with co-morbidities.

Covaxin is the only vaccine that is currently being administered to youngsters below 18 years under the vaccination program. So, the limited production of the jab has been a constraint for the government to expand the coverage. The government is of the view to extend the vaccination program to those below 15 years based on the expert committee’s recommendation in future.

Source: ET Healthworld