Gujarat: Despite Being Below 45 Years Of Age, Over 900 Students Received COVID Vaccines At IIT Gandhinagar

More than 900 students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Gujarat's Gandhinagar received COVID-19 vaccines last week, despite being under the age threshold set by the government for vaccinations, reported Scroll.in.

As of now, India is only vaccinating people above the age of 45 years. It is not clear how IIT Gandhinagar was able to skip the government's guidelines and vaccinate its students majority of whom are not even 25 years old.

According to two official emails that informed students about the vaccination drive between March 30 and April 2, the students were being administered Covishield.

Faculty members and staff, students and even those living outside the campus, were given the vaccines. The doses were administered by the university's dispensary doctors and nurses.

"The GMC [Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation] was involved and arranged the vaccines for us," an official told Scroll.in.

Asked about the vaccinations at IIT Gandhinagar, the city's municipal commissioner Ratankanvar H Gadhvicharan said: "I will have to look into it. According to government instructions, only above 45 and frontline workers are eligible."

At least 25 students of IIT Gandhinagar had tested positive for coronavirus virus last month.

On Monday, Maharashtra, which accounts for nearly half of India's COVID-19 cases, asked the government to allow it to vaccinate those aged 25 and more. The Centre, however, declined its request.

Also Read: 'COVID-19 Vaccine Stock To Run Out In Three Days, Need More Doses': Maharashtra To Centre