CoWIN platform chief Dr RS Sharma mentioned that senior citizens with both doses are eligible for the precautionary jab if there is a gap of over 9 months between the second shot and the day of registration.
Here’s all you to know:
- For the registration process, children can use their
Aadhaar or other valid identity cards - Children who do not have an Aadhaar card, registration can also be done using their 10th ID cards (student ID cards)
- Vaccination for children aged between 15-18 years will begin in the country from January 3, 2022
- The announcement regarding Covid-19
vaccine for children was made by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in his address to the nation on December 25 - PM Modi said that the move to provide vaccination to children in the 15-18 age group is likely to aid in education normalisation in schools and will reduce the worry of the parents with school-going children
- The decision came shortly after Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine
Covaxin received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use for children aged between 12-18 years - According to an official source, Covaxin is the only Covid-19 vaccine which will be administered, for now, to children in the age group of 15-18 years. The estimated population to be covered in this category is seven to eight crores
- In an address to the nation, PM Modi said the precaution dose will be available for healthcare and frontline workers from January 10, 2022
- To be eligible for the precautionary dose, CoWIN chief said on Monday it is mandatory for senior citizens (60 years and above) to have taken both doses and the gap between the second one and the day of registration is more than 9 months (39 weeks)
- “When you will register, it will ask whether you have any comorbidities or not. If you say yes, you will be able to book a slot. You will have to show the comorbidities certificate from a registered doctor at the vaccination centre before taking the dose,” said Dr. RS Sharma
The Prime Minister, in the televised address to the nation on December 25, said global experience shows that following all preventive measures at personal level is a big weapon to fight Covid as he asked people to be alert and take all precautionary measures but cautioned against any panic.
He said vaccination is also an important weapon to combat the pandemic.
So far, the Centre has been cautious, pointing to the wide prevalence of antibodies in the sub-18 population despite being unvaccinated. But the higher transmissibility of Omicron has increased risk of disease even though so far children have been spared the pandemic’s worst effects.
India on Monday reported 6,531 new Covid-19 cases and 315 deaths. Meanwhile, the tally of cases of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus in the country has risen to 578.
– With agency inputs
.