A lot of eligible teenagers are excited to get the Covid vaccination as India rolled out the inoculation drive for the 15-18 age group on Monday. While most of the teens News18.com reached out to said they have been waiting for the shots for a long time, many parents are still concerned, saying that they would wait for more kids to get vaccinated before sending theirs. Experts though have urged authorities to hold special camps to reach out to children from low-income families, especially those who have dropped out of school.
Puja Marwaha, CEO, Child Rights and You (CRY), said, “There should be provisions of walk-in vaccination for out-of-school (or school dropout) adolescents who do not have school ID or Aadhaar card and don’t have access to CoWIN. Special care should also be taken so that the working adolescents who have migrated to other places and the ones who are in shelter homes are included in the vaccination drive. Our on-ground experience of working with marginalised children in 19 states over the past four decades suggests that it’s a humongous exercise to connect the dots, especially in the remote areas; and we can only hope that the local administrations take all possible measures to reach the last-mile child. We believe that participation of the civil society organisations and the people at large will go a long way in optimising the outcome of the exercise.”
For school-going kids, registering for the vaccine was an exciting event. Khushi Gupta, a student at MRG School, Rohini, Delhi, said, “We all kids were waiting for the Covid vaccination for so long.” She said having observed adults at her home, she is prepared for side effects such as fever and said it is a good sign. “Kids who fear getting the vaccination should understand that they needn’t worry about getting a fever as a side effect. Having a high temperature is a good sign. It means that our body is ready to fight the virus,” she said.
Since the onset of the pandemic, for teenagers, the college entrance exams and board examinations have been postponed and schools have been shut. Most of the kids in this age group are in classes 9 to 12 and will be appearing for exams this year too. Abhay Hari, a class 12 student at Jingle Bells School, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, said, “Vaccination will not only make me feel safer if I have to step out for entrance exams, classes or anything else but also reduce the worry for my parents.”
“If vaccination is the solution to the pandemic, we will ensure our commitment to the drive in view of personal and public health,” said Sangeeta Hajela, principal, DPS Indirapuram. The school is also holding a vaccination camp and says it has been getting “an enthusiastic response” from the parents and children. But some parents have shown reluctance and are waiting for other kids to get vaccinated.
“The Omicron variant is highly transmissible which is why parents are very eager to get their teens vaccinated, especially with exams and practicals that are to be held soon. Some parents are worried about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines but they will definitely come around once more and more children get vaccinated,” said Aprajita Gautam, president of Delhi Parents Association (DPA). The association is also holding awareness drives for parents and children.
Younger kids also need to be vaccinated, said CRY. “India will also be waiting to have its younger children (below 15 years) to be vaccinated too, as soon as possible. Keeping in mind that already close to two years of education has been lost, nothing can be more important than getting children of all age groups duly vaccinated and safely back to school,” said Puja Marwaha.
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