Jaipur: Child panel tells districts to vaccinate eligible teenagers living in shelters

JAIPUR: The child commission has instructed all the districts that eligible children staying in shelters should be vaccinated even if they do not have age proofs. In case of lack of age proof, the age of the child should be determined medically.

Rajasthan state commission for protection of child rights (RSCPCR) chairperson Sangeeta Beniwal said, “While we have requested CM Ashok Gehlot to issue an order, we have also asked the administrations that no child who falls between the age group eligible for vaccine be deprived. In case children in shelters or otherwise do not have age proof, then their ages be determined medically and vaccine administered.” Last week, the child commission had also written to the district administrations to set up vaccination camps at the child shelters across the state for teenagers aged between 15 and 18 years.

“We have a lot of children at the shelters across the state who fall in the required age bracket and some of them have never even been to schools so they do not know their exact ages but vaccinations have started based on their ages medically determined. The priority is to get the children vaccinated and guard them against the third wave”, added Beniwal.

On Monday, the RSCPCR chairperson also inspected children shelters in Bundi as well as hospital and vaccination camp for children set up at the district headquarters.