Vax for kids: BBMP begins preparations

Amid speculations of the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine for children by the end of October, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has kickstarted preparations to inoculate children across the city.

The civic body has begun to collect data of those belonging to the target group of 12-18 years.

"So far, we have not received any directions from the government in this regard. But as the vaccines have obtained the required consent for rollout, we are expecting the guidelines to be out soon and have begun preparations," BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said.

The BBMP is yet to decide whether a dedicated vaccination camp is required for children or the existing infrastructure could be used for the same.

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"In the first phase, children in the 12-18 age group will be vaccinated. Only after receiving suitable guidelines from the government can we decide whether the drive should be held at primary health centres (PHCs) or ward-level camps. We are also mulling the option of vaccinating them in their respective schools," Gupta said.

D Randeep, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP, said data on the target population will help manage the vaccination drive better.

"As of now, we will start preparations by collating data, identifying the target population and chalking out a micro plan. The operational aspects can be finalised only after we receive the complete guidelines," he said.

The BBMP is also looking at utilising the data collected from the door-to-door health survey, which is in progress across 54 wards in the city. “This will help us identify the children according to their age group. Also, our vaccinators, who will start block/lane-level vaccination, have been instructed to mark the households with children on the block map. This will give us information on the target population,” Randeep said.