Schoolchildren aged 18 and 19 to be vaccinated from 21 October

By Rathindra Kuruwita

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday instructed health and education authorities to start vaccinating schoolchildren aged 18 and 19, from 21 Oct.

The President asked the officials to carry out the vaccination programme at schools themselves.

The President said so during the meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control held through video conference yesterday morning (08). The President emphasised that the vaccination programme in each school should be done under the supervision of a doctor. The children in that age group who have left school would be vaccinated by the medical officers attached to the Health Office in their respective area.

It was revealed during the meeting that 100% of the population over the age of 60 and 98% of the population over the age of 30 had been vaccinated. The President also instructed the health officials to take steps immediately to vaccinate those in the age group of 20-30.

More than 10,000 children with congenital diseases between the ages of 12 and 19 have been vaccinated so far. The Provincial Directors of Health Services stated that vaccination of those children would be carried out continuously in all hospital clinics in the country.

The COVID-19 Control Committee has decided that the existing inter-provincial travel restriction should remain in place until the 21st of October.