Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha is going to launch the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group on Monday from a government school in Jammu, an official said.
While the L-G will launch the drive from the Government Higher Secondary School for boys in Gandhi Nagar, a similar event would be held at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Kothi Bagh of Srinagar by the additional chief secretary of the health and medical education department, the spokesperson said.
He said the vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group would be carried out from January 3 at centres located in selected schools across the union territory.
As many as 8.33 lakh children will be targeted for inoculation during the drive in Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.
The J-K Government is fully prepared for the drive, and it has made all necessary arrangements, he added.
The school education department has been asked to encourage children to come forward and get vaccinated from Monday, the spokesperson said.
On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the inclusion of the 15 to 18 age group in the nationwide Covid immunisation programme from January 3.
Eligible teenagers will be administered Covaxin as it is the only vaccine with Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for the 15-18 age group, and it is also recommended by the 'COVID-19 Working Group' of the National Technical Advisory Group on immunisation, the spokesperson said.
He said the children taking the vaccine will be kept under observation for 30 minutes. They will be given the second dose after 28 days, the official added.
