India began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to those aged between 15 to 18 years on Monday, January 3. Over 40 lakh teens received their first dose on Day 1, Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya informed.
“Well done Young India! Over 40 Lakhs between 15-18 age group received their first dose of #COVID19 vaccine on the 1st day of vaccination drive for children, till 8 PM.
This is another feather in the cap of India’s vaccination drive,” he wrote on Twitter.
Congratulating the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Today we have taken an important step forward in protecting our youth against COVID-19. Congrats to all my young friends between the age group of 15-18 who got vaccinated. Congrats to their parents as well. I would urge more youngsters to get vaccinated in the coming days!”
PM Modi had announced on December 25 that India will begin COVID vaccination of children aged 15 to 18 from January 3.
Along with the move to cater to this particular age group, he had also declared that healthcare and frontline workers will get a precautionary (booster) dose from January 10. From the same date, those above 60 with co-morbidities can get a booster dose based on doctor’s advice, he said.
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The recent spate of decisions come in the backdrop of an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases, fuelled by the new moer transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
India recorded 33,750 new COVID-19 cases and 123 deaths in the last 24 hours, data from the Union Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday.
The country has also recorded 1,700 confirmed cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, out of which 639 have recovered or migrated.
Maharashtra (510) has reported the highest number of omicron infections. Delhi (351), Kerala (156), Gujarat (136), Tamil Nadu (121) and Rajasthan (120) are the other states that have reported over a hundred omicron cases.
The variant has been detected in 23 states and Union Territories so far.
Several states have imposed restrictions and night curfews to respond to this explosion of cases.
