COVID-19: 82% adolescents vaccinated with first COVID-19 dose in Delhi

NEW DELHI: With schools gearing up to reopen for classes 9 to 12 from Monday, authorities have inoculated 82 percent of adolescents in Delhi with the first dose since the exercise to vaccinate them against coronavirus commenced on January 3. According to official data, 8.33 lakh adolescents have received the first dose and 0.39 lakh have been jabbed with the second dose.

Delhi has around 10.14 lakh beneficiaries in the 15-18 age group. According to officials, 95 percent of government school students have been vaccinated, while 73 percent students of aided school students have received at least one dose. Sixty-two percent of private school students have been inoculated with at least one dose.

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The maximum number of adolescents have been inoculated with the first dose in the southwest district at 1,12,521 followed by northwest at 10,87,99 and west at 84,958. The least number of adolescents have been inoculated with the first dose in New Delhi at 49,631. The maximum number of adolescents have received the second dose in northeast Delhi followed by the southwest district at 5,716. The government has achieved 109 percent inoculation with the first dose, while 84 per cent inoculation has been achieved for the second dose.

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Covaxin is the only vaccine option for the 15 to 18 year age group, according to the Union health ministry guidelines on December 27. In January, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had said 85 percent of Delhi government school students have been vaccinated against COVID-19. He, however, remarked that the inoculation drive in private schools was going on at a snail's pace.