Amid rising cases of Covid and its variant Omicron, teenagers heaved a sigh of relief after they received their first dose of vaccination as the inoculation drive for the 15 to 18 age group began in the city on Monday. The national capital reported 4,099 new Covid cases on Monday, 28 per cent more than on Sunday, and one death due to the disease as the positivity rate rose to 6.46 per cent, according to data shared by the Health Department.

The vaccination drive for the 15 to 18 age group began across India on Monday. Over 12.3 lakh children had been administered doses across states/UTs till 3 pm, said authorities. “This was long awaited. The third wave is already here and considering how aggressive the second wave was, we were all afraid,” said Ritesh Ghosh, a 17-year-old student.