Accelerate 2nd dose COVID vaccination to 15-17-year-olds, Centre tells states

The Centre has exhorted states to accelerate the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination for the 15–17-year age group, stressing that the progress in this regard should be reviewed at state and district levels every day.

Since the inoculations for the adolescents began on January 3, more than 4.66 crore doses have been administered in this age group, resulting in the first dose coverage of 63 percent population of 15-17 years in a span of less than a month.

India has about 7.5 crore teenagers in the 15–17-year age bracket.

A letter from Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the principal health secretaries in the states on Tuesday pointed out that as the COVID-19 vaccine being used for the age group is Covaxin, which has an interval of 28 days between the two doses, the second dose coverage of all those who have received their first doses should be completed promptly.

“All the 42 lakh adolescents who received the first dose on January 3, 2022 have become eligible for the second dose from January 31,” said the letter.

Bhushan wrote that the timely completion of COVID-19 vaccination schedule is important to confer full protection of vaccines to the recipients.

“A tailored communication strategy focused at adolescent population and their caregivers should also be rolled out to make them aware about the timely completion of vaccination schedule and sustain their vaccine confidence,” the letter said.

The health secretary said that apart from second dose coverage of the adolescent population, focus should also be paid on the eligible beneficiaries who may not have received their first doses yet.