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Covid vaccination drive for kids continues to drag in Chandigarh
Only 20% of eligible kids in 12-15 age group and 62% in 15-18 age group are fully vaccinated against Covid in Chandigarh
The daily Covid vaccination average for younger age groups continues its slide amid the UT administration’s decision to not put any restrictions on unvaccinated children.
To protect unvaccinated children from infection in a possible fourth wave, UT adviser Dharam Pal had first decided to restrict students in the 12 years to 18 years age group from attending physical classes from May 4. Notably, the vaccination drive had picked up pace after the announcement, with over 21,000 children getting vaccinated in the city in just one day.
The decision, however, was later revoked and with no restrictions being imposed, the vaccination numbers began to fall. Due to the slow pace of vaccination, the UT health department also missed their target of vaccinating all the eligible children with at least first dose before May 15.
On Sunday, only 81 children in the 15-18 age group and 219 children in the 12-15 age group were vaccinated in the city, while the weekly average also went down to 123 children per day in the 15-18 age group and 273 in the 12-15 age group.
The weekly average was 892 children per day in the 15-18 age group and 1,512in the 12-15 age group on May 1, when the administration decided to put restrictions on unvaccinated children.
The vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group commenced on January 3, while that for those aged 12-15 began on March 16. The older children are being provided Covaxin, while the younger lot is being administered Corbevax. The second dose for both vaccines is provided after a gap of 28 days.
But in the four months since, the city has managed to fully immunise only 63% (45,121) children in the 15-18 age group, where the target is 72,000. The first dose coverage target has been achieved at 101% (72,786).
In the 12-15 age group, which has a target population is 45,000, meanwhile, only 71% (31,880) have gotten the first dose in the last two months, while the double dose coverage stands at 20% (9,193).
‘Summer vacation to further slow down drive’
The vaccination drive is further expected to further slow down as vaccination camps in schools will not be organised amid the summer vacations.
“Most of the families go to other cities in summer vacations and children will also leave with them. This may further slow the vaccination drive but we will review the situation again and make appropriate strategies to vaccinate the children”, UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, adding that though the health department missed the target of vaccinating 12-15 age group children by May 15, they are still setting up camps and motivating parents to get their children vaccinated.
No new deadline has been set, as of now.
UT health services director Dr Suman Singh, meanwhile said, “The vaccination is voluntary but children must get vaccinated as it will lower the severity of infection and transmission of the disease. We are motivating parents to come forward and get their children vaccinated.”
