15.21L Children Aged 12-14 To Be Vaccinated In Odisha From Tomorrow; Birth Certificate Mandatory

Bhubaneswar: Registration for vaccination of children in the 12-14 years age group will start on the CoWIN platform on Wednesday, March 16, when they would be jabbed with Corbevax manufactured by Biological E. Limited, Hyderabad.

Besides online registration which will begin at 9 am, onsite walk-in will also be available, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a meeting through video conference with all states and UTs on Tuesday. It coincides with National Vaccination Day.

“Children born before Mar 15, 2010, can take the COVID vaccine. Birth certificate or any other relevant documents is mandatory. Registration can be done in both online/offline mode,” said Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi.

The gap between the 2 doses will be 28 days. “Over 600 health workers will be engaged for inoculating 15.21 lakh children in this age group,” the official said, adding, 15.47 lakh vaccine doses are available with the state now.

The children can register either with their family members or separately. Student ID cards can be used in case Aadhaar cards are not available. Four members of a family can register against one mobile number.

“The school teachers will also help in the vaccination drive. The Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) have been directed to run the drive during the school hours in the first phase. The Education Department will coordinate with the SC-ST Department to streamline the drive,” Panigrahi said.

Dedicated centres will be gradually set up for the vaccination of the children in the next phases, he added.

With the condition of comorbidity removed, all above 60 years of age will also be eligible for precaution dose from Wednesday.

Notably, vaccination of children between 15 and 18 had begun on January 3.