500 Assam schools were turned into Covid vaccination centres as the state opened vaccines for teens in the 15 to 18 age group today amid a surge of Covid cases in the country. Over 80,000 students queued outside their ID proofs as teachers registered their name on Cowin portal on Day 1 of the vaccination drive.
With over 20 lakh children in the 15-18 age group, Assam faces a mammoth task as it targets single dose to all the beneficiaries within a week. With March-April board exams in mind, the state plans to inoculate the teens with both the doses before that time.
"We would be able to cover the total 20 lakh children in this age group, in my estimation, within 45 days and maximum within 60 days," Assam Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said today while inaugurating the statewide 15-18 age group vaccination.
The process has also been made easy for the students as classrooms were used as vaccination centres.
"We are using the attendance register and seeing who are eligible for the jab. After which their identity proofs are sought and a ticket is given to them. Then follows the vaccination," a government school principal Indrani Talukdar told NDTV.
Assam plans to expand this vaccination drive further as the state plans to convert at least 20 schools in big districts and at least 10 in small districts into vaccination camps.
Although, some children seemed anxious about the jab, overall the response has been positive for the state government.
"Some students are a bit anxious and stressed but many of them felt happy after taking the jab," Dr. Trishna Medhi, part of the vaccination team told NDTV today.
"We are really relieved that the vaccines have been rolled out for us as cases are on the rise," a class 9 student said.
Another student said, "We were afraid of injections before but after getting the jab, the fear is gone."
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