State yet to get proper protocols from Centre

Kolkata: The state government is ready to administer Covaxin doses to nearly 50 lakh eligible children in the age group of 15-18 years from January 3.

Around 1.1 crore senior citizens, 5 lakh frontline workers and around 7 lakh health workers will get the third dose from January 10. Recipients will be given the same vaccine that they had received earlier. A list has been prepared of the senior citizens with comorbidities who are eligible to get the booster Covid shot.

However, the state Health department awaits proper protocols from the Centre regarding the third-phase vaccination. The Centre is yet to clarify if cocktail doses can be administered on the beneficiaries, said a senior health official in the state.

Two vaccines — ZyCov-D and Covaxin — have been given an emergency nod by the Centre for use on children above 12 years. The Centre has already told the states that booster doses can be taken three months after the second dose. The certificate of the booster dose will be available on the smartphones of the beneficiaries. Like the previous two doses, people will be able to download the certificate of the third dose.

The Union Health ministry on Monday had issued some guidelines for the vaccination of children between 15 and 18 years as well as precaution doses for health/frontline workers and those above 60 with comorbidities. The guidelines will come into effect from January 3.