HYDERABAD: It has been over a month since the anti-Covid vaccination programme for children in the age group of 12-14 years started in Hyderabad. However, the number of children who have taken the shots remains as low as 53 per cent in comparison with the State’s average of 81 per cent. These figures are concerning in light of the rise in the number of Covid cases among school children in Delhi and other metro cities after the resumption of schools.
In Hyderabad, there are 1,14,045 beneficiaries in the age group of 12-14 years, out of which only 59,876 have been jabbed so far. In Medchal 60 per cent have received the vaccine. In Rangareddy, the situation slightly better as 82 per cent of 95,620 eligible children have taken the vaccine.
For the age group of 15-17 years, the vaccination started in January. So far only 46 per cent of beneficiaries in this group have taken both doses of the vaccine in Hyderabad, 54 per cent in Medchal and 55 per cent in Rangareddy, which is much less than the state average of 74 per cent.
According to officials, in Hyderabad and other urban districts, the reason for vaccine hesitancy is that most of the parents think that children’s natural immunity would be enough going forward. “A number of students have already contracted Covid-19 in either the second or third wave, making parents assume that the natural immunity is good enough. Since the symptoms amongst these children were also very mild, they are not seeing it as a major concern,” explained an official from the State health department. Many schools have not allowed the health department to hold vaccination drive on campuses, citing parents’ consent is necessary.
“We have been working with the education department to sensitise private school managements to hold these camps. In government schools, this was not an issue. However, with private schools more rounds of sensitisation will be needed,” added a senior health official.