Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health department is gerning for a mass Covid vaccination drive from today (August 9)  to 31 bringing postgraduate students, lower primary and upper primary school teachers, and final-year degree students under its ambit.

The focus will be on vaccinating final year degree students, PG students, lower primary and upper primary teachers. The first dose of inoculation for senior citizens will be completed by August 15. Patients with comorbidity will be vaccinated at home. The decision, as per the state Health department officials, is a prelude to the opening of educational institutions. This decision comes after an expert committee recommended the Kerala government to take steps for the reopening of schools.

The state is mulling reopening of schools after reports from the WHO on Wednesday said children need to be vaccinated to attend schools. The ICMR had recommended to the Centre to consider reopening primary schools as the first step since children will be able to handle the infection much better as compared to adults. The Kerala government will also procure vaccines and supply them to private hospitals at the purchase price for increasing inoculation in the state. Commercial bodies, industrial organizations and NGOs can conduct vaccination drives for the people in association with civic bodies and private hospitals.

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