The central government is likely to issue advice on reopening schools soon, as efforts to vaccinate 15-year-olds against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) gather pace. Federal Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked the national team of experts to advise and work on ways to reopen schools across the country.

“Covid-19 affects children of all ages. However, mortality and disease severity in children are negligible. Health experts believe it is time for children to go back to school.

Physical education classes have mostly remained closed since the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, with some states partially opening them amid widespread parental concerns about sending unvaccinated children to school. Due to the emergence of a highly contagious variant of Omicron, the centre hopes to reopen schools in a staggered fashion after opening a Covid vaccination campaign to children aged 15-17.

“However, it is up to the states to decide if they are ready to open schools,” ANI quoted a source as saying.
India rolled out a vaccination programme for healthcare and frontline workers on January 16, 2021, and is gradually opening it to all adults. The next phase of vaccination for adolescents in the 15-18 age group begins on January 3, 2022, one week before the start of additional “prophylactic doses” for healthcare, front-line workers and at-risk groups. To date, more than 10 million doses of Covid boosters have been administered to identified beneficiary categories.

About 95 percent of the eligible population has received their first dose of Covid-19, Mandaviya said Thursday. As of Friday morning, India’s cumulative vaccination numbers had passed the 1,644.4 million mark.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times