From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 16: The Covid-19 pandemic is not completely gone and has come under control due to vaccination, said Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, while launching the Corbevax vaccination drive for children in the age group of 12 to 14 years on Wednesday.
The Health and Family Welfare Minister who launched the Corbevax vaccination drive for children in the age group of 12 to 14 years and also the precautionary dose for all senior citizens above 60 years at the Atal Behari Medical Institute.
Who’s eligible?
Children born after March 15, 2010 are eligible for the Corbevax vaccine and the second dose will be administered after 28 days. The target is vaccinating 20 lakh children in the age group of 12 to 14 years.
The precautionary dose for adults above 60 years will be administered to those who completed 39 weeks or 9 months after the second dose. As many as 76.58 lakh adults above 60 years are eligible for the precautionary dose.
Wearing masks, distancing necessary
Dr Sudhakar cautioned the people that Covid pandemic has not completely gone and the adherence of the Covid control norms must be followed even by those who have received the vaccine doses. Compulsory wearing of masks and maintaining physical distancing must be followed, he said.
“The pandemic has come under control due to the vaccination and there is still a long way to go to be free from the pandemic,’’ he said.
The minister said Karnataka hds administered over 10 crore doses of vaccine and India has administered more than 180 crore doses so far, which is the highest in any country in the world.
Pointing out that administering other vaccines for different diseases was barely 4 to 5 crore doses in the past, he said the country has administered over 180 doses of vaccine against the Covid pandemic during the last one year. India is a global leader in the war against Covid, he claimed.
Vaccine for 0-12 year group children soon
The minister indicated that the government planned to administer vaccines for even children in the age group of 0 to 12 years soon. “All this will happen only after conducting necessary scientific research and obtaining the necessary approvals,’’ he said.
Dr Sudhakar said the government has already undertaken discussion with senior officials under Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s leadership and even with the Union government to ensure that the education of the students who returned from the war-torn Ukaraine does not suffer. “We want to ensure that the medical education of these students is not affected and justice is done,’’ he added.