NEW DELHI: Overwhelming response to vaccination in the 15-17 age group continued on Day 2 of the inoculation drive for them as nearly 38 lakh teenagers received the shots.
Vaccinations for this group was the highest among all age groups and pushed the total daily vaccination figure to over 87 lakh, of which 3,75,1524 doses were administered to teenagers till 8 pm on Tuesday.
Overall, nearly 82 lakh teenagers aged between 15-17 years have received their first dose as daily infections in India rise rapidly, fueled by the Omicron variant, marking the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic in the country.
The estimated population under this age group in India is 8-10 crore and they are permitted to have only Covaxin as per the Union health ministry’s guidelines.
In many states, governments as well as schools have started encouraging teenagers and their parents to take the shot against Covid-19.
On Tuesday, the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE advised heads of all schools affiliated with it to encourage parents and guardians to get their wards vaccinated at the earliest.
“This is indeed a heartening and positive step in the right direction for the students in the examination classes of 10 and 12,” said Gerry Arathoon, the chief executive and secretary of the CISCE, in a press statement.