Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government will vaccinate all mothers having children aged below 5 years as a precautionary measure in the wake of predictions of a third wave of COVID-19, informed State Medical and Health Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal on Monday.
During a Covid review meeting, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy observed that in case children get infected with coronavirus, their mothers should also stay at hospitals. “So the state government has decided to inoculate mothers with kids under the age of 5 years. There are almost 20 lakh such mothers, they will be inoculated along with those aged 45 plus years,” he said.
Addressing the media after the CM’s Covid review meeting, Singhal said that the state government has constituted a committee to take preventive action on the third wave of COVID-19.
In case paediatric cases are registered in more number in the third wave, action should be taken based on the report of the committee so that the ICU beds, paediatric beds, ventilators, medicines for kids and children, masks and other requirements to treat children and kids should be taken care of well in advance, ordered the Chief Minister.
Reddy said that paediatric wards should be set up in all hospitals, measures should be taken for treatment of children at primary health centres (PHCs) and local area hospitals, and paediatricians be recruited according to the need.
“More than 600 private hospitals have been permitted to treat COVID-19. Keeping third wave in mind, chances of treatment of paediatric cases, special paediatric wards, and other basic infrastructure in those private hospitals should be considered,” informed Singhal.
Singhal stated that the chief minister has directed the construction of three paediatrics multi specialty hospitals – one in Visakhapatnam, two in Vijayawada or Guntur and three in Tirupati.
He stated that at least 55 per cent of the state population are vaccinated, including 45 years plus people, health care workers and front line workers. 57,07,706 are given one dose, and 25,80, 432 for women people.