Kolkata: The day after the PM announcement in the further phase of the launch of the vaccine, the State Health Department prepares to invest around 50 children who qualified in the 15-18 year age group.
Inoculation drive for this age group starts in just one week from January 3 from January 10.
While detailed guidelines on the vaccination of children and the third dose for adults has not been issued by the Ministry of Health, State Health officials have carried out a crunching number.
“Our data about children who qualify for vaccines and adults for the third dose are ready,” said the Welfare official of the state of Ashim Das Malang, who was responsible for the entire vaccination program in Bengal.
“The supply of vaccines should not be more a problem and we have adequate infrastructure.
Our initial preparation is also active.
We only need a detailed guide from the center to complete the launch,” he said.
Despite two vaccines – Zycov-D and Covaxin – have received an emergency replace nodding for children over 12 years in India, drives for children will only start with Covaxin.
The country currently has 50 lakh doses of covaxin in the cat.
‘Expect younger children put in phase’earlier, the center has set aside a dose of lakh zycov-d for Bengal for the launch of the pilot in adults.
But because the launch has been postponed, this dose has not been submitted to the state but is stored in the central vaccine warehouse in Hastings.
“Getting children to vaccination drive is a welcome step.
But I hope the drive starts with children over 12 years.
But then there will be a logistical problem.
Hopefully, it is included in the phase,” said Senior Paediatrican Apurba Ghsoh, Director , Kolkata Child Health Institute.
For a dose of booster, there is still no clear guidelines on the time gap between the second dose and the third dose.
Of the total 1.1 crore senior citizens in the state, more than 80 lakh have taken both shots of vaccines and the majority of them will have some comorbidity and will require a booster dose, health officials show.