Two-thirds of primary students in Arakan State have received Covid-19 vaccine booster doses, officials say

30 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
30 January 2023, Sittwe

More than 66 percent of students at basic education schools in Arakan State have received booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccination, according to data from the Arakan State education office.

As of January 26, a total of 201,289 students in Arakan State, or 66.82 percent of the 5-12 age group, had received booster shots.

The department has been administering booster shots since June of last year with the approval of students’ parents.

Still, some students in remote areas have yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to officials from the Arakan State education office.

Booster shots are provided for free to students. In Sittwe, the shots are offered every Wednesday and Friday at a religious hall in Tayarthisu Ward, and at Sittwe Hospital.

“We have been vaccinating primary students,” said Dr. Kyi Lwin, head of the Arakan State Health Department.

Despite the fact that new Covid-19 infections have been negligible for months in Arakan State, people should receive booster shots as a preventative measure, said Dr. Kyi Lwin.

“Covid-19 infections are less severe now. Herd immunity has reached a good level,”  said the doctor. “There have not been new infections, but it is better to have vaccination. We give the shots for free.”