Even as children in the 15-18 age group have started getting a second dose of vaccination here, the health authorities have clarified that there was no shortage of vaccines at all and the drive for vaccinating children will pick up pace when schools and colleges reopen.
In Mysuru district, 1.3 lakh children in the 15-18 age group received the first dose of vaccination. Whoever has completed the gap between the first and second doses, is now eligible for the second dose being administered for the last three days.
Covaxin was being administered to the children and the gap between the first and second doses for this was less when compared to Covishield. Therefore, many children are now eligible for the second dose with the completion of the interval the first dose. Once the schools and colleges reopen, the drive is expected to get a boost.
District Health Officer K.H. Prasad said the second dose of vaccination for children has commenced.
So far, 95% of people have received two doses of vaccination, and the district is inching closer to 100% double dose of vaccination even as the number of cases in Mysuru have dropped substantially with the infection rate slowing down, he said. Mysuru has achieved 102% target in the first dose, he added.
With the drop in active cases following a decline in new cases, the beds in hospitals may soon be de-reserved and the isolation units may be shut down with a drop in people getting admitted for treatment, he said.
Barring the COVID-19 Care Center at the KSOU Academic Building, other centers in the taluks and also in Mysuru city may soon be discontinued, he said.
Meanwhile, the cases fell below 200 on Saturday as 197 new cases were reported and 465 persons were discharged in the district. Two deaths were reported on Saturday and the active case tally has dropped below 1,500. As on Saturday, the active cases stand at 1,454.
What is worrying is the continuing infections among the children in Periyapatna taluk as 41 new cases in the 6-17 age group were reported. In the district, 81 cases in the 0-17 age group were reported. Out of 197 cases, 77 were from Mysuru city and 47 from Periyapatna.
