Fast track jabs for 15-18 year olds: Mega centres to come up in city

Kolkata: In a significant stride to fast track the vaccination of students in the age group of 15-18, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is opening up some mega centres across the city and at schools which are serving as vaccination centres.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation will also open up satellite primary health centres particularly in the big wards in the city to provide primary health services.

"We have arranged vaccination of students of the 15-18 age group in as many as 50 schools in the city where students of the respective schools were inoculated. Some of these schools are still acting as vaccination centres. Now we will allow students from other schools to receive jab at these school vaccination venues against production of their aadhar cards or documents through which they can register in the Cowin portal," Mayor Firhad Hakim said. He pointed out that a student from South Point school in the age group 15-18 can get the jab at Chetla Girls School where there is a functional vaccine centre.

Presently 25 Covaxin centres are running in the city which are offering second dose to the common people and also to students in the 15-18 group.

"Some mega Covaxin centres are opening up and will be notified soon to fast track the students' vaccination," added Hakim.

According to Hakim there are primary health centres of KMC in all the 144 wards. "We have asked the councilors to look out for space where we can set up these satellite facilities for treatment of primary health of patients. This will ease pressure upon the secondary health facilities in the city," he added.

Hakim maintained that though Covid cases in Kolkata dropped to 1,723 on Monday but two boroughs in the city VIII and X are contributing to the bulk of the positive cases.

The number of positive cases had reached 7000 before January 11. The number of containment zones in Kolkata dropped from 44 to 33 on Monday.

However, the situation will be closely monitored at least for the next 4 to 5 days.

"Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh who also heads the Health department of KMC will hold a meeting with associations of highrises where there have been a spurt in Covid cases and chalk out a comprehensive plan of curbing such cases," Hakim said.