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Unvaccinated children between the ages of 12-18 will not be restricted from attending classes in physical mode from Wednesday. This decision was taken at a meeting called by UT adviser Dharam Pal to review the Covid positivity rate and vaccination status.
The decision comes a day after the Supreme Court asked governments and private institutions to consider recalling orders prohibiting access to services to people not vaccinated against Covid-19. UT had earlier decided to prohibit unvaccinated students from attending school from May 4.
After reviewing the situation in the UT, the adviser decided that the earlier decision of restricting unvaccinated students between the ages of 12-18 will be kept in abeyance till further orders.
The health department, in coordination with the education department will, however, continue its efforts to cover all children in the 12-18 age with the first dose of vaccine by May 15.
The UT adviser further stated that though the Covid vaccination is optional, it is the duty of the administration to educate and inform the citizens about its benefits. He made an appeal to all the teachers in Chandigarh to educate children about Covid vaccination and appealed to parents to get their children vaccinated without delay.
Parents, schools welcome move
Meanwhile, both parents and schools have welcomed the move. President of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) HS Mamik said, “We had requested the UT administration to give parents more time before barring their children from attending school, as they hadn’t had enough time to get their children vaccinated. Buses had just started plying normally and starting online classes for kids would have again disrupted them.”
President of the Chandigarh Parents Association, Nitin Goyal added, “The Supreme Court had recently ruled that no one can be forced to get vaccinated. Rather than forcing kids to get vaccinated, UT must encourage them to come for vaccination by themselves.”
The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) had also written to UT education secretary earlier asking that at least hybrid classes can be taken to ensure that unvaccinated students aren’t deprived of education.
The vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group commenced on January 3, while that for those aged 12-15 began on March 16. The older children are being provided Covaxin vaccine, while the younger lot are being administered Corbevax vaccine. The second dose for both vaccines is provided after a gap of 28 days.
But four months on, Chandigarh has been able to fully immunise only 59% (42,414) children in the 15-18 age group category, where the target is 72,000, though the first dose coverage has reached 98% (70,847).
In the 12-15 age group category, the target population is 45,000, but in over a month only 61% (27,689) have got the first dose, while the double dose coverage stands at 10% (4,487).
Free booster dose for 18-59 group in P’kula govt facilities
From Wednesday, people in the 18-59 age group can avail the booster dose of Covid vaccine free of cost at all government facilities in Panchkula. However, they should have completed nine months from the date of receiving the second dose.
Special session sites will be set up at all primary health centres and community health centres, urban health centre, Sector 16 and Poly Clinic, Sector 26.
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