Tamil Nadu government has asked all the colleges to vaccinate eligible students in order to avoid an increase in COVID-19 cases on campus.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Medical and Family Welfare, Ma Subramanian on Sunday has directed all the educational institutes in the state to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to students above the age of 18, in order for them to attend physical classes on campus.
The decision to vaccinate eligible students in higher educational institutes has come in the wake of clusters of COVID-19 cases reported among students on the Anna University campus. The vaccination of students on campus will reduce the possibility of COVID-19 spread.
“All the (college) department heads have been directed to ensure that eligible students whether in engineering, arts, and science or veterinary, medical colleges, to get inoculated," Subramanian said while talking to reporters after taking part in the Rotary International event in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu.
The minister further said that the nine students from Anna University who had tested positive for COVID-19 are in stable condition and are undergoing treatment at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy.
Meanwhile, a medical bulletin by the health department said the state registered 674 new coronavirus cases aggregating to 27,35,389 while the toll mounted to 36,612 with 13 more deaths.
Chennai and Coimbatore accounted for the majority of new infections with 116 and 102 respectively, while the remaining was spread across other districts, as per the authorities. As many as 22 districts reported less than 10 Covid-19 infections. Ramanathapuram and Tenkasi recorded zero cases.
Many concerns have been raised regarding the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in educational institutes across many states. The number of COVID-19 cases in schools recently crossed the 130 mark, which made parents concerned about the status of child immunization in the country.
The COVID-19 vaccination drive for children has not yet commenced in India, but two vaccines have been approved by the DCGI for the same purpose. The Centre will be announcing the status of child immunization in the country soon.
(With PTI inputs)
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