Jabs at District Hospital, K.R. Hospital, Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital, PHCs at Kyathamaranahalli, Rajendranagar 

Mysuru/Bengaluru: Following the return of COVID-19 scare with the increasing cases due to emergence of JN.1 sub-variant in the State, the District Administration has launched the vaccination drive targeting senior citizens aged 60 years and above and vulnerable section with less immunity power from today.

Minister for Medical Education Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil yesterday said people above 60 years and those with comorbidities can get vaccinated for the COVID-19 from Jan. 3 (today) onwards at the District Hospitals in the wake of rising infections of JN.1 sub-variant.

The Minister, however, underlined that there was no need to panic and urged people to take precautionary measures to tackle the spread of the virus.

He also convened a meeting with the heads of medical institutions and hospitals coming under the purview of the Medical Education Department along with the head of the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee and its members in Bengaluru. After the meeting, the Minister said that there was no specific direction from the Central Government on new vaccines.

As per the Health Dept., the same vaccines that were administered during the first and second wave of the pandemic will be given this time and people above 60 years and those with comorbidities can get vaccinated.

As per the directions of the Central Government under its National Health Mission (NHM), 30,000 doses of ‘Corbevax’ vaccine have been supplied to the State, with 1,200 doses of vaccine supplied to Mysuru district.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, District Reproductive Child Health Officer (RCHO) Dr. M.S. Jayanth, who is in-charge of vaccination drive, said: “Arrangements have been made to administer the vaccine at District Hospital on KRS Road, K.R. Hospital on Irwin Road, SMT Hospital on JLB Road and PHCs at Kyathamaranahalli and Rajendranagar and all Taluk Hospitals in the district.”

“Over 100 doses of vaccine will be supplied to all Taluk Hospitals and 200 doses for all the three Assembly Constituencies (Krishnaraja, Chamaraja and Narasimharaja) in city, considering the greater number of people in these Constituencies among the target group comprising high risk category. But the people should not panic,” he added. 

Sources said, some of the schools in Mysuru have also resumed taking precautions against the spread of COVID and have instructed the students to wear mask and bring sanitisers.

According to the Mission Director of NHM, as per the guidelines of GoI, Corbevax vaccine can be administered as a heterologous precautionary dose.

Experts have opined that the JN.1 sub-variant is likely to spread rapidly but unlikely to cause serious health issues. Though the WHO and many experts have stated that the sub-variant is unlikely to cause serious health problems for infected people, the State has instructed the officials to be vigilant and take precautionary measures and create awareness.