KOCHI: Following a review meeting with medical officers held at the mayor’s chamber on Wednesday, the Kochi corporation has decided to organise vaccination drives in schools for children in the age-group of 15 to 18.
“There are a total of 31,020 children under that particular age group in the city who are eligible for vaccination. Of them, 27,266 are currently studying in various schools. It has been decided to make the vaccination drive effective in the respective schools.
The vaccination schedule will be prepared and discussed by a coordinating committee comprising councillors. The committee will be convened on Thursday,” said Mayor M Anilkumar during the review meeting. Children who are unable to receive the vaccine in schools will be vaccinated at special centres. Booster doses will also be made available at these centres, with the corporation providing the assistance necessary in preparing infrastructure.
A meeting with various organisations in the city will be held online on Saturday to review the Covid situation. The review meeting also decided to make arrangements for the distribution of homoeopathic medicines.
The corporation’s health standing committee will intervene to provide financial help to those families who could not avail a death certificate stating Covid as the reason. District Medical Officer Dr Jayashree V, vaccination nodal officer Dr M G Shivadas, National Health Mission district project manager Dr Sajith John among others attended.
Omicron spread high in district, say experts
Kochi: With Covid cases rising sharply in the district, the Indian Medical Association has advised caution. In a review meeting, representatives of IMA’s Kochi chapter, Kerala Government Medical Officers Association and the National Health Mission (NHM) evaluated the situation. “The spread of the Omicron variant is very high in the district. Among most of those who tested positive, symptoms like fever, body ache, cold, sneezing and throat pain have been noticed. Those with any such symptom should isolate themselves,” said Dr Mathews Numpeli, of the NHM. “People should avoid self-medication,” said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, of the IMA.