Lakshadweep achieves 100 pc COVID-19 vaccination in 15-18 age group; first among states, UTs

Kavaratti (Lakshadweep): Lakshadweep has achieved 100 per cent COVID-19 vaccination of children in the age group 15-18 years and is the first among states and union territories to achieve the feat, the administration said on Tuesday.

The vaccination of this age group began on January 3, 2022.

An official statement from District Collector and Secretary S Asker Ali stated that the vaccination drive for children was launched by Administrator Praful Patel in Kavaratti as part of the nationwide campaign.

"It is remarkable that the target of 3,492 children was achieved within a week after the launch of the vaccination drive through various awareness campaigns conducted in schools and mobilization drives in all the ten inhabited islands of Lakshadweep," it said.

The statement said Lakshadweep was also the first among UTs and states to have achieved 100 per cent vaccination in other categories such as healthcare workers, frontline workers and age group above 18 years.

The administration said that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has provided adequate quantity of Covaxin doses for facilitating the vaccination of children and for administering the booster doses.

"Lakshadweep Administration has also started providing booster doses to frontline workers, healthcare workers and citizens above 60 years of age from January 10, 2022 as per the guidelines of ICMR," it said.

The UT administration said it is getting prepared for a possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic through proactive measures of COVID-19 management such as the imposition of night curfew, mandatory RT-PCR negative certificate and active vaccination, testing and tracking. (ANI)