The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to chief secretaries of poll-bound states, including Manipur, to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination, according to reports.
As per the reports, the ECU has expressed concerns over the low vaccination coverage of the first dose in Manipur.
In Manipur, the total number of people who have been administered COVID-19 vaccine reached 23,16,105 (first dose: 13,25023 second dose: 9,91,082), as of Sunday, according to the state health department's data.
The five poll-bound states are Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Goa.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday launched the COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 15-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal.
Launching the vaccination drive the chief minister urged all eligible children to vaccinate at the earliest.
“The entire Nation is thankful to Hon’ PM Shri @narendramodi Ji for initiating the vaccination drive for children aged 15-18. I’m pleased to have launched Manipur’s Covid vaccination drive for children at JNIMS today. I urge all eligible children to take the vaccines at earliest,” CM Biren tweeted.
India began the vaccination for the age-group 15-18 years on Monday. It may be mentioned that only ‘Covaxin’ will be administered in this population category.
Covid Vaccination for children in Churachandpur
The launching programme of COVID-19 vaccination for Children aged 15 to 18 years was held at District Immunisation Office, Medical Campus, Churachandpur district on Monday.
Churachandpur DC Pawan Yadav launched the programme in the presence of the chief medical officer Dr Vumchinpau Tonsing, DIO/DFWO Dr Paulunmang and others including officers from the Education department. The programme was organised by the District health Society.
On the occasion, the DC said that health and frontline workers and others totalling approximately 1,90,000 people have been administered with the 1st dose of which 83,000 people have received the second dose so far. The figure is far from the targeted 95 per cent and it calls for more vigorous efforts with the launching of vaccinations for 15 to 18 years, he said.
Stressing on the need for spreading more awareness, he urged the people to follow SOPs and guidelines issued by the state government as positive cases are increasing in many parts of India.
Dr Vumchinpau Tonsing said that today is a significant moment where all school authorities must be tasked to convince the students to take the dose which is safe and proven. The DIO said that the vaccine for children above 15 years will soon be made available in PHSC, PHC, CHCs etc. soon. Booster doses for adults will also be available, he added.
Covid vaccination for children in Tamenglong
The District Health Society Tamenglong on Monday launched a vaccination drive for children under the age group of 15-18 years against COVID-19 in Tamenglong district. The launching programme was held at the conference hall of chief medical officer Tamenglong. Sub-divisional officer Tamenglong Rohit Anand and chief medical officer Tamenglong Dr G Majachunglu attended as chief guest and president respectively.
District immunisation officer Tamenglong Dr Sunil Kamei said that the number of targeted children who come under the age group of 15-18 years in Manipur is 17,400. However, the exact figure targeted for Tamenglong is yet to be confirmed, he said.
He informed that the targeted children under the said age group will be vaccinated with Covaxin. He also informed that the second dose for children will be administered 28 days after the first dose.
The district has achieved 36.6 per cent vaccination for above 18 years of the targeted 62,025 population, he said, adding that as many as 22,709 people have received the first dose while 16,421 persons have received the second dose in the district.
He also informed that precautionary doses for the frontline workers and patients with comorbidities will be rolled out shortly.
Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Rohit Anand said, "The government is very serious about COVID-19 and to make sure that the society of Covid free, door-to-door vaccination drives have been conducted despite hardships... the youths have been affected most by the pandemic, and they need to get good education and only vaccination is the way to open the schools".
(With inputs from IFP Correspondents, Tamenglong and Churachandpur)
