Over 50% Eligible Kids Get Jabs In Two Weeks

More than half of the estimated 74 million children in the 15-18 age group have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to government data on Wednesday, with officials now expressing optimism that by next month, “most eligible children, if not all” will be covered.

- Rhythma Kaul and Abhishek Jha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the milestone as encouraging news and Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said it marked a big day for India's fight against Covid-19.

“Young and youthful India showing the way! This is encouraging news. Let us keep the momentum. It is important to vaccinate and observe all COVID-19 related protocols.

Together, we will fight this pandemic, Modi said in a tweet from his account, responding to an earlier tweet by Mandaviya.

Data analysed by HT showed that while the pace has been impressive, especially in the first four days after the vaccination was opened for this age group, there has been a significant slowdown recently.

This is not unusual, to be sure, since the launch of a new phase of vaccination is when most enthusiastic uptake typically happens. But it means that if the first half were covered in 16 days, it does not mean the next half will take the same amount of time.

At its peak, between January 3 and 6, on average 5.67% of eligible population took doses every day - at that rate, the full cohort should have been covered in 13-14 days. But the rate has slowed, and in the last five days, this pace was 1.58% a day.

Encouragingly, however, at least half of the population will now be fully vaccinated by mid February, in time for what is typically the examination season in the country.