Covid vaccine: 63% teens given 1st dose, expedite 2nd, states told

New Delhi, February 2

The Health Ministry today wrote to states, asking them to ensure the timely completion of the Covid vaccination schedule of young adolescents who have already received their first dose.

In a letter to his state counterparts, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 63 per cent (4.66 crore) of the eligible 15 to 18 year olds had already received their first dose since January 3 when the drive to cover this segment began.

“Inoculation of 63 per cent population has been achieved in a span of less than a month. The vaccine used in this group is Covaxin, which has an interval of 28 days between the two doses. Hence, all 42 lakh adolescents who received the first dose on January 3 have become eligible for the second dose from January 31,” the ministry said. Bhushan said timely completion of the schedule was important to confer full protection of vaccines to recipients. —