Vaccination not a condition for reopening schools: VK Paul

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI) Vaccinating children is not a condition for reopening schools, Member-Health of NITI Aayog, VK Paul said on Thursday.
Responding to a question during a press briefing on the threat of children getting infected due to COVID-19 as schools have started reopening, Paul said "Vaccinating children is not a condition for reopening schools. This criterion is not acceptable anywhere in the world, no scientific body, epidemiological evidence suggests it as a condition...However, vaccination of staff is desirable".
To a question on the availability of COVID-19 vaccines by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in India which have received emergency use authorisation, Paul said, "The EUA status is well-known for both Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. That option is open."
"About their import or deployment from local production of Johnson and Johnson, there are issues around which we still have to find a common ground with respect to manufacturers and we are working in that direction," he said.
The Member-Health, NITI Aayog said that the one dose of COVID-19 vaccination prevents chances of death to 95 per cent and announced that 58 per cent of the population of the country above 18 years had been given the first dose of vaccine against the COVID-19.
"When you give two doses there is total protection of serious disease and death. However, with dynamic data, we have seen that the vaccines one dose of the vaccine also prevent serious disease or death to 95 per cent. It is clear that our tools vaccine tool is the most important and it will protect us. Going forward it will change the scenario dramatically," said Paul.
"It's clear that two doses show complete protection, 58 per cent above 18 years given a single dose, it should be 100 per cent. No one should be left behind...About 72 crore vaccine doses given, those left should get administered to develop herd immunity," added Paul.
The overall first doses of the vaccines against the COVID-19 administered in the country stand at 54,68,97,006, while the second doses administered so far are 16,97,00,422.
The states and union territories with more than 85 per cent of coverage of the first dose amongst 18plus populations is; Sikkim, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Ladakh, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Uttarakhand, Mizoram.
Sikkim, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Himachal Pradesh have vaccinated 100 per cent of their population with the first dose of vaccination against the COVID-19. (ANI)