<p>After 228 days of a nonstop vaccination drive, the Goa health administration on Wednesday announced September 10 and 11 as "vaccination holidays" in order to give a break to health workers during the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which also begins on September 10. </p>.<p>"We are announcing a vaccine holiday on September 10 and 11. There will be no vaccination in government centres on these two days. Vaccination will resume on the 12th of September," according to Dr. Anup Netravalkar, a nodal officer at the Directorate of Health Services for the vaccination exercise. </p>.<p>"This will provide a much-needed break for our healthcare professionals. They have been working for 228 days without a single break. We are also doing this because during Ganesh Chaturthi, there may not be a big rush. After considering these factors, the Goa government has decided that it will be a vaccine holiday on September 10 and 11," Netravalkar also said. </p>.<p>The Goa government has also decided to reduce the gap between vaccination doses for teaching and non-teaching staff employed in Goa's schools and colleges to six weeks from the standard 80 plus day gap between the two vaccine jabs. </p>.<p>The reduction in the gap to six weeks will enable fast vaccination of the teaching and non-teaching staff in schools and colleges, which would thereafter clear the way for the opening of educational institutions in the state for offline classes in the near future. </p>.<p>"Our target is to finish vaccination of teachers and non-teaching staff before Teachers' Day. The principal or headmaster will be certifying teaching and non-teaching staff for schools and colleges making them eligible for vaccination," Netravalkar also said. </p>.<p>The official also said that so far 15.5 lakh vaccine doses had been administered in the state and that nearly 95 per cent of the state's population had taken at least one vaccine jab.</p>
<p>After 228 days of a nonstop vaccination drive, the Goa health administration on Wednesday announced September 10 and 11 as "vaccination holidays" in order to give a break to health workers during the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which also begins on September 10. </p>.<p>"We are announcing a vaccine holiday on September 10 and 11. There will be no vaccination in government centres on these two days. Vaccination will resume on the 12th of September," according to Dr. Anup Netravalkar, a nodal officer at the Directorate of Health Services for the vaccination exercise. </p>.<p>"This will provide a much-needed break for our healthcare professionals. They have been working for 228 days without a single break. We are also doing this because during Ganesh Chaturthi, there may not be a big rush. After considering these factors, the Goa government has decided that it will be a vaccine holiday on September 10 and 11," Netravalkar also said. </p>.<p>The Goa government has also decided to reduce the gap between vaccination doses for teaching and non-teaching staff employed in Goa's schools and colleges to six weeks from the standard 80 plus day gap between the two vaccine jabs. </p>.<p>The reduction in the gap to six weeks will enable fast vaccination of the teaching and non-teaching staff in schools and colleges, which would thereafter clear the way for the opening of educational institutions in the state for offline classes in the near future. </p>.<p>"Our target is to finish vaccination of teachers and non-teaching staff before Teachers' Day. The principal or headmaster will be certifying teaching and non-teaching staff for schools and colleges making them eligible for vaccination," Netravalkar also said. </p>.<p>The official also said that so far 15.5 lakh vaccine doses had been administered in the state and that nearly 95 per cent of the state's population had taken at least one vaccine jab.</p>
