More than 1.25 lakh adolescents in DK to be vaccinated, says DC

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that more than 1.25 lakh children in the age group of 15 to 18 across the district will be administered vaccines.

“The target is to vaccinate 1,01,549 adolescents in the district. As there are many students from outside the district pursuing their studies in this district, the district administration and health department had taken steps to inoculate more than 1.25 lakh children,” he said during the vaccination programme organised for children at Government PU College in Car Street.

As many as 21,026 children were inoculated on Monday in the Dakshina Kannada district.

The testing of samples for Covid-19 will be increased to 15,000 in the district. The testing will be carried out in college campuses, APMC premises, markets and other areas, he said and appealed to the people to cooperate with the health officials.

Traders should ensure all consumers visiting shops wear masks and possess vaccination certificates, he added.

The severity of Covid-19 is mild on those who had been inoculated. As a result, dependence on hospitalisation, ventilators and ICUs will be reduced. No vaccination-related fatality was reported in the district. Students should not panic over mild side effects like fever and body ache. Parents and teachers should also ward off fear of vaccines in children, he said.

The deputy commissioner said that the district has sufficient oxygen in hospitals. Only liquid medical oxygen for ICU beds is procured from outside.

Though nine cases of Omicron variant were reported in the district, two cases were undergoing treatment in Bengaluru and seven cases had mild symptoms. The Omicron transmission occurs fast compared to other variants, he added.

The students who have been inoculated should create awareness in their surroundings on the need to get vaccinated, he said.

Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said that there is no shortage of ventilators and oxygen in the district. The district has 16 oxygen generation plants even in community health centres, taluk hospitals and the district hospital.

Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru has 103 ventilators. About 94% of the targeted beneficiaries had been administered with the first dose and 80% with the second dose of vaccination in Dakshina Kannada.

Over 1 lakh targeted beneficiaries are yet to be administered with vaccines in the district.

MLA D Vedavyas Kamath also spoke on the occasion.

‘Sullia lab to be used for tests’

Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said a lab at a medical college in Sullia will be used for conducting tests of the samples collected from Puttur, Kadaba, Sullia and Belthangady.

The kits required for the testing will be supplied by district administration and steps will be taken to give the results within 24 hours at the Sullia Medical College lab.