Lok Sabha Question No. 566 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-04
Subject: Parental Consent to Vaccinate Minors
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Karti P. Chidambaram, Rakesh Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION. NO. 566 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE FEBRUARY 4 TH  2022

## PARENTAL CONSENT TO VACCINATE MINORS

## 566.:   SHRI KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM, MP SHRI RAKESH SINGH, MP

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  initiative  to  vaccinate  children  aged  15-18  across  the  country  has mobilised  interest  in  the  children  and  their  guardians,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the vaccination status of children as on date, State/UT-wise including Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) whether parental consent is a prerequisite for minors aged 15-18 to get vaccinated, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  doctors  vaccinating  minors  will  be  held  liable  for  vaccinating  a  minor  without parental consent, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there are any recourses available for minors who wish to get vaccinated but whose parents oppose such vaccination, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the children are likely to be administered the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination also, if so, the details thereof along with the target fixed by the Government to achieve full vaccination coverage of children in the said age group?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) to (e) Covid-19 vaccination program for adolescents aged 15 to 18 years started from 3 rd January 2022 and as on 31 st January 2022, 4,59,99,539 have received the 1 st dose of COVID-19 vaccine (62.1%). Covid vaccination is voluntary in nature and the vaccine doses are administered to this population group after providing knowledge regarding the safety, efficacy and possible adversereaction of the vaccine to them and their parents.

In  order  to  raise  awareness  about  COVID-19  vaccines,  address  vaccine  hesitancy  and  sustain vaccine confidence among beneficiaries as well as their parents, a communication strategy is in place which  is implemented  across all States/UTs. Administration of  2 nd dose to these beneficiaries has begun after completion of 28 days from the date of administration of 1 st dose of Covaxin.  Adequate  quantity  of  vaccine  doses  have  been  made  available  to  all  States/Uts  to vaccinate  all  eligible  beneficiaries.  The  State/UT-wise  coverage  of  adolescents  aged  15  to  18 years is attached at Annexure I.

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## State/UT-wise coverage of adolescents aged 15 to 18 years (as on 31 st January 2022)

| S. No.   | State/UT            | 1st dose coverage   | 1st dose coverage   |
|----------|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| S. No.   | State/UT            | Number of doses     | Percentage          |
| 1        | A & N Islands       | 17,847              | 77.6%               |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh      | 24,46,930           | 100%                |
| 3        | Arunachal Pradesh   | 35,640              | 36.4%               |
| 4        | Assam               | 8,72,780            | 42.8%               |
| 5        | Bihar               | 40,14,573           | 48.1%               |
| 6        | Chandigarh          | 36,747              | 51.0%               |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh        | 9,82,609            | 60.1%               |
| 8        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 18,143              | 53.4%               |
| 9        | Daman &Diu          | 11,251              | 45.0%               |
| 10       | Delhi               | 8,06,251            | 79.5%               |
| 11       | Goa                 | 43,083              | 58.2%               |
| 12       | Gujarat             | 26,70,202           | 75.0%               |
| 13       | Haryana             | 9,25,292            | 60.1%               |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh    | 2,96,898            | 84.3%               |
| 15       | Jammu &Kashmir      | 6,17,023            | 74.1%               |
| 16       | Jharkhand           | 10,12,815           | 42.2%               |
| 17       | Karnataka           | 22,55,699           | 71.0%               |
| 18       | Kerala              | 10,71,480           | 69.8%               |
| 19       | Ladakh              | 7,999               | 61.5%               |
| 20       | Lakshadweep         | 2,802               | 56.0%               |
| 21       | Madhya Pradesh      | 37,40,438           | 77.9%               |
| 22       | Maharashtra         | 31,31,914           | 51.7%               |
| 23       | Manipur             | 52,700              | 30.3%               |
| 24       | Meghalaya           | 36,874              | 18.0%               |
| 25       | Mizoram             | 42,218              | 63.0%               |
| 26       | Nagaland            | 33,653              | 23.5%               |
| 27       | Odisha              | 14,74,101           | 62.3%               |
| 28       | Puducherry          | 40,337              | 48.6%               |
| 29       | Punjab              | 4,07,139            | 28.7%               |
| 30       | Rajasthan           | 29,23,235           | 62.9%               |
| 31       | Sikkim              | 23,148              | 56.5%               |
| 32       | Tamil Nadu          | 20,23,119           | 60.9%               |
| 33       | Telangana           | 12,18,243           | 66.2%               |
| 34       | Tripura             | 1,13,705            | 53.4%               |
| 35       | Uttar Pradesh       | 92,74,097           | 66.2%               |
| 36       | Uttarakhand         | 3,98,301            | 63.4%               |
| 37       | West Bengal         | 29,20,253           | 60.5%               |
|          | India               | 4,59,99,539         | 62.1%               |