PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, April 27: Steel city of Jamshedpur is witnessing a slow pace of Covid vaccination for children aged 12 to 14.
Sources in the health department said that almost all the eight centres including the one at Keenan Stadium have registered low turnout ever since the vaccination drive kicked off on Monday.
“The health department staff remain in their vaccination duty at the centres between 10 am and 5 pm but they very children turn up with their parents for vaccination, ” said a senior official of East Singhbhum health department.
Notably, amidst growing fear of the fourth wave of Covid-19, the local administration is geared itself with a focus on vaccination.
The administration on Monday set up its centres at Loyola School, Rajendra Vidyalaya, Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya and DBMS, Kadma.
“We have started reaching out to parents and telling them their children are eligible for vaccination. But, despite that parents are reluctant to send their wards for vaccination,” said an official of a city-based school.
He went on to say that they are also sending messages to parents and are hopeful that the situation will improve in the days to come.
Children born on or before March 28, 2010, are eligible for vaccination with Corbevax which will be given in two doses of 0.5 ml each. The second dose will be after a gap of 28 days.
In view of a possible fourth wave of Covid, deputy commissioner Vijaya Jadhav Rao gave instructions to all the senior officers, deputy superintendent of police, incident commanders and police station in-charges regarding the necessary protective action to be taken.
Health officials said that although currently, the active rate of corona cases has come down but the infection has not been completely eradicated. There is also a need to be alert in view of the possible transition of the fourth wave.
