Assam Govt Aims to Administer 18 Lakh Teenagers

GUWAHATI: Assam has set a goal of immunising 18.25 lakh teens aged 15 to 18 years old as part of a children vaccination campaign that will commence early next month in the state, using Covaxin doses that are accessible in the state.

According to health department authorities, about 80% of the children in Assam who require vaccinations are enrolled in conveniently accessible schools and institutions.

The most challenging duty, on the other hand, will be bringing dropouts for immunisation because their data may not be available with educational institutions. 

School campuses, in addition to the existing Covid vaccination centres, may be chosen for the new immunisation push for children. On Tuesday, the state health department will hold a video conference with the Center to finalise the policy for vaccinating children under the age of 18.

According to a senior health department official, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is readily available for use among youngsters in the state and will likely be the sole choice in the early stages. 

"Covid vaccination will be administered to children using the same Covaxin doses as adults. The ZyCoV-D vaccine from Zydus Cadila has been licenced for use in children across the country, but it has not yet been made available in Assam. Health personnel in Assam, on the other hand, are equipped and trained to provide ZyCoV-D "according to official sources.

As of Monday, 42 lakh doses of Covid vaccine were in stock throughout Assam districts, with an additional 24 lakh doses retained in the state vaccine depot in Guwahati for future usage. As according health board officials, covaxin, which is beneficial for vaccinating youngsters, accounts for 13.84 lakh of the total supply. "New vaccine consignments are unlikely to arrive in Assam in December," the source added, "but fresh supplies will arrive in January to speed up the immunisation of the children." 

The most recent immunisation target for those over the age of 18 is 2.33 crore. From January 3, when individuals aged 15 and above are included, the objective has risen to 2.51 crore. "If vaccinations continue to be accessible on schedule," he stated, "the 18-lakh objective for the 15-18 age range may be met in 15 days." 

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