Tamil Nadu is ramping up its inoculation programme with a different approach: vaccination centres in colleges. With institutions reopening after months, Tamil Nadu faces the enormous challenge of vaccinating its young population. Although, the state's daily Covid-19 tally has been on the decline with 1,562 cases and 20 related deaths reported yesterday, vaccine hesitancy had initially slowed down the state's inoculation programme.
Now, the state government is expanding vaccine coverage, especially among the young population, through inoculation drives on college campuses.
At Chennai's 70-year-old New College, Mohamed Suhail, a final year B Com student who got his first vaccine dose during the college campus drive said that the state government's decision of making vaccination mandatory for attending classes in college, helped in shedding his fears with respect to the jab.
"I had a problem, and my parents were scared. Now I've no other way and I feel confident," Mohamed told NDTV.
Dr S Basheer Ahamed, Principal of New College said that the college has introduced a turn system for vaccination as only 50% of students are allowed in the premises.
Over the last few days around 200 students and faculty members have been vaccinated, Dr Ahamed said, adding that the drive has helped in allaying fears about the vaccines.
"This camp is helpful. Earlier students may have had constraints, but with this campus vaccination camp they cannot delay. We bring them here if they don't produce vaccination certificate," Dr Ahamed said.
Tamil Nadu government informed that up to 95% of teachers and staff in institutions have already been vaccinated. With 3.36 lakh doses being administered yesterday, 11% of Tamil Nadu's adult population has been fully vaccinated and 44% has received one dose.
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