India to begin vaccination for children aged 15 years and up, booster doses for some from January

As Omicron cases rise in the country, and around the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that vaccination for children aged 15 years and up will begin from January 3rd, 2022.

'Precaution' doses for frontline workers, as well as co-morbid patients aged 60 years and up, will be given from January 10.

The prime minister used the term precaution dose and did not call it booster dose as it has been generally referred to.

"India started giving the vaccine to its citizens from January 16 this year. It is the collective effort and collective will of all the citizens of the country that today India has crossed the unprecedented and very difficult target of 141 crore vaccine doses," Modi said in his address to the nation.




"Citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities will also have the option of precaution dose of the vaccine on the advice of their doctor," the PM said.

"We all have experience that those who are corona warriors, healthcare and frontline workers, they have a huge contribution in keeping the country safe in this fight," he added.

This comes hours after Bharat Biotech announced its Covid vaccine Covaxin had received emergency use nod for children aged 12 years and up.

Amid concerns over rising Omicron cases of COVID-19 variant, PM Modi urged people not to panic and be alert.

"In India, many people have been found to be infected with Omicron. I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Remember to wash hands and mask," the Prime Minister said in an address to the nation.

As per the Union Health Ministry, India has reported 7,189 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the nationwide case tally of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has reached 415.

Amid the Omicron scare and surge in cases in various parts of the country, the Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that multi-disciplinary Central teams would be deployed in ten identified states.