Continuing the fight against COVID-19 pandemic amidst drastic fall in cases, vaccination for children aged between 12 and 14 was formally launched in Mysuru on Wednesday.
After the successful immunisation of children in the 15-18 age group, the district administration and the Department of Health and Family Welfare have put in all resources for making even this drive successful.
The drive was launched at Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital on JLB Road by S.A. Ramdas, MLA, and a group of children got the shots.
Mysuru District Health Office K.H. Prasad, who was present, said 39,521 children in the 12-14 age group will be covered in Mysuru city alone. In total, the district has 1,37,459 children who will be covered in the next few days. Corbevax is being administered.
He said the PHCs and hospitals across the district will get the vaccines and thereafter the health workers will visit the schools to vaccinate the children. The schools will coordinate with the health authorities.
The drive was also launched in Mandya district where 59,000 children will be vaccinated.
Deputy Commissioner S. Aswathi, who launched the drive, said the parents must ensure that their children get the vaccine as a precaution as the district has planned to achieve 100 per cent target.
DHO Dhananjaya said 28 lakh doses of vaccine have been administered in the district so far. The second dose will be given after 28 days.
Mysuru has also made good progress in administering the booster doses. So far, nearly 70,000 have been covered. Those aged above 60 years and have completed nine months from the date of second dose are eligible for the booster doses.
The district is also inching closer in achieving 100 per cent second dose. The health workers have administered 25.95 lakh first dose - 100.47 per cent. The district has achieved 96 per cent progress in the second dose with 24.78 lakh coverage. In Mysuru, 51.44 lakh doses of vaccine have been administered since the launch of the immunisation drive in January 2021.
With regard to the booster doses, 4.78 lakh beneficiaries have been identified for administering the precautionary dose in Mysuru district. About 1.99 lakh persons are eligible in Mysuru city alone for the dose which is being administered to persons above 60 years, healthcare and frontline workers.
Persons completing nine months from the second dose (39 weeks) are eligible. The vaccine will be the same as was administered during the first and second doses.
Officials from the Department of Health and Family Welfare have identified 4,78,972 beneficiaries and the taluk-wise list is – Mysuru rural 41,237, Mysuru urban 1,99,034, T. Narsipur 40,087, Nanjangud 53,547, Hunsur 39,302, H.D. Kote 37,067, Periyapatna 33,717 and K.R. Nagar 34,981.
The staff from the departments of health, rural development and panchayat raj and urban development, who are among those identified as frontline workers, are getting the booster doses.
