COVID: What is the criteria for precaution dose, vaccine for children? Details here

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made some massive anouncements, informing the nation that the inoculation against COVID-19 for children will start from January 3, 2022, and precaution dose from January 10, here is the criteria to keep note of for both, the vaccine booster dose and the doses for children. 

Here's the eligibility criteria:

• 15-18 years: Paediatric vaccines 
• Healthcare workers: Precautionary dose
• Frontline workers: Precautionary dose
• Over 60 years: Precautionary dose

'Vaccination For Children Aged 15-18 From Jan 3' : PM Modi 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that COVID-19 vaccination for children in the age of 15-18 years will begin from January 3, 2022. In his address to the nation, PM Modi said, "Vaccination will start for children between 15 and 18 years of age. It will begin from Monday, January 3, 2022. This decision will strengthen the country's fight against Coronavirus."

'Precaution Dose from January 10': PM Modi

Making another big announcement on the precaution dose against COVID-19, the Prime Minister said that the dose will be administered to healthcare and frontline workers from January 10 along with those above 60 years of age on the advice of their doctor.

While a majority of the population still remains to be fully vaccinated with two mandatory doses, PM Modi said that the additional doses will help the nation better prepare against the Omicron variant. 

Omicron tally in India 

A total of 415 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in India so far, out of which 115 have recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Saturday morning. Maharashtra has recorded the maximum with 108 Omicron cases, followed by Delhi at 79, Gujarat (43), Telangana (38), Kerala (37), Tamil Nadu (34) and Karnataka (31).

India's COVID tally rose to 3,47,79,815 with 7,189 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, while the active cases have declined to 77,032, according to the data updated at 8 am. The death toll climbed to 4,79,520 with 387 more fatalities. The daily rise in new Coronavirus cases has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 58 days now.

Image: Shutterstock, PTI