From August 29, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine will conduct special COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to inoculate students aged 18 and above, studying in government, aided and private arts and science colleges and professional courses, such as agriculture, engineering and polytechnic.
In a letter to all Deputy Directors of Health Services (DDHS) and city medical officer of the Greater Chennai Corporation, T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, said the Health Minister and Higher Education Minister had announced that all students above 18 had to be vaccinated immediately.
All principals of government, aided and private arts and science colleges have been requested to instruct students to get vaccinated, starting August 29. The Directorate of Collegiate Education has been requested to instruct all principals to coordinate with the respective DDHS of the health unit districts to conduct the special campaigns.
The DDHS should plan for utilising all mobile medical units and the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram teams for conducting the vaccination campaign and ensure entry in CoWIN portal, Mr. Selvavinayagam said.
First camp inaugurated
Inaugurating the first special camp at the Government Arts College for Men at Nandanam, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi said vaccines provided the best defence against COVID-19 and appealed to all the college teachers and students to come forward to get themselves vaccinated.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian said similar special camps for school staff were already being organised, and more such camps would be organised in colleges as well.
He said the professors of the college had requested him to introduce more departments, and Mr. Ponmudi had ordered the beginning of three new departments in the college.
Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department J. Radhakrishnan and Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi also participated.
