Vaccination drive for children of 15-18 age group kick-starts in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam District has commenced on a COVID-19 vaccination drive for children in the age group of 15 to 18 years. This vaccination drive is taking place between 03 to 07 January, 2022 throughout Visakhapatnam District. It targets a total of 2.2 lacs children, out of which 1.5 lacs reside within Visakhapatnam city limits and the remaining 70 thousand at the Visakhapatnam District level.

Bringing in the New Year, a number of people have been worried about the pandemic situation and the Omicron variant scare. Addressing this, the concerned Visakhapatnam authorities have decided to enhance the process of vaccinations across the district of Visakhapatnam.

In a recent conversation with Yo! Vizag, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoH), Dr KSLG Sastry, informed that GVMC, in collaboration with the District Medical Health Officer (DMHO) and District Collectorate, under the guidance of Visakhapatnam District Collector, Dr. A Mallikarjuna, IAS, has come up with an action plan to conduct vaccination drives across the city in January 2022.

The initial phase  in Visakhapatnam begins with the vaccination drive for children in the age group of 15 to 18 years. This will be followed by the continuing drive for people above 18 years for their second dose of vaccination. Additionally, a booster shot drive is planned for frontline workers, health workers and senior citizens between 10 and 15 January, 2022. Dr. Sastry also informed that since the first case of the Omicron variant was reported in Vizag on 24 December, 2021, there has been an increase in the intensity of virus testing at Visakhapatnam International Airport. Even though this is the only Omicron case registered so far, the authorities are putting extra efforts to avoid the spread of any virus in the city.