Vaccines for children, booster dose for elderly: Top points of PM Narendra Modi's address to nation

PM Narendra Modi, in a sudden address to the nation yesterday, announced that the country will start vaccinating children between the ages of 15 to 18 from January 3 next year amid growing concerns over rising COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant of the virus.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a sudden address to the nation on Saturday (December 25, 2021) announced that India will start vaccinating children between the ages of 15 to 18 from January 3 next year. PM Modi in his address also said that "precaution dose" for healthcare and frontline workers would be administered from January 10. 

The announcement comes amid rising COVID-19 cases linked to the Omicron variant of the virus. Here are the top points of the address: 

- India will start vaccinating children between the ages of 15 to 18 from January 3 next year. 

- Healthcare and frontline workers will be provided with "precautionary doses" from January 10 next year. 

- People above 60 years of age who have co-morbidities will also have the option to take the booster dose, on a recommendation from doctors, from January 10.

- Modi asked people to be alert and take all preventive measures but added that they should avoid panic as he reassured them about the health measures in place to deal with any exigencies. "I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Remember to mask up and keep washing hands," Modi said.

- Administration of nasal vaccine and world's first DNA vaccine against COVID-19 will soon start in India as well, PM Modi said. 

- "Today, more than 61 percent of India's adult population has received both doses of the vaccine. Similarly, about 90 percent of the adult population has received a single dose of the vaccine," he said.

- Giving an overview of healthcare infrastructure in the nation, Modi said that as the virus is mutating, "our confidence to take on challenges is also multiplying".

- "Our innovative spirit is also growing. The country today has 18 lakh isolation beds, 5 lakh oxygen-supported beds, 1,40,000 ICU beds. If ICU and non-ICU beds are taken together, there are about 90,000 beds for children. Today the country has over 3,000 PSA oxygen plants functioning and four lakh oxygen cylinders have been provided across the country," he said.

- PM Modi also lauded scientists and health workers, and said the seriousness of vaccine was identified very early and along with research on it, work was also focussed on the approval process, supply chain, distribution, training, IT support system and certification.

- Modi emphasised that India's fight against the virus has from the very beginning been based on scientific principles, scientific consultation and scientific methods.

(With agency inputs)