Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin today said at a time when the State’s economy was marching towards recovery and everyone was heaving a sigh of relief, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 ‘threatening us’.
Kickstarting vaccination drive for 15-18 age group in the city, he said his government took all necessary steps and brought the second wave under control.
Stating that Covid cases were rising once again, he however asked people not to worry. ‘I am saying this only to ensure that you are all safe and you take necessary precautionary measures to safeguard yourselves. Your safety will alone give me happiness,’ he said.
Stalin launched the programme at a Government School at Saidapet Constituency from where Health Minister Ma.Subramanian was elected.
This vaccination drive was in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of expansion of the Covid vaccination program to include children above the age of 15 years from today, in view of the rising cases and the fast spreading of the Omicron variant.
The vaccine administered is Covaxin, which has received emergency use approval for use in children by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Covaxin will be administered in two doses at a gap of 28 days.
Those born in 2007 or before will be administered the vaccination jab organised in camps in schools, to ensure that children need not travel to distant places to take the jab.
The vaccination drive, to be held in association with the School Education department, was held in all the schools across the State in line with the guidelines issued by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.