Vaccinations for healthy kids likely to start early next year
Government data shows that for children, hospitalisation in case of Covid 19 was extremely uncommon. It was also seen that children were mostly asymptomatic, or had mild symptoms akin to the common cold.
The government plans to inoculate healthy children in the first quarter of 2022, people in the know told ET. The Covid-19 working group, which advises the government on vaccines, is of the view that India will be able to vaccinate all adults by the end of this year. Consequently, the vaccination of healthy children can start early next year.
"We are planning to start vaccinating healthy children in the first quarter of 2022," NK Arora, chair, Covid-19 working group, told ET.
Arora said that by then India will have at least four vaccines for children - Covovax, which is being developed by Serum Institute, Cobervax, from Biological E, as well as jabs from Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila.
"The vaccination drive will run in full swing for children. By then all adults would have been vaccinated," he said.
In the first phase,which is likely to start anytime this year, only children with comorbidities would be given shots. Based on the recommendations of the Covid working group, guidelines on vaccinating children with underlying medical conditions are likely to be issued soon. "We have held some meetings and will issue the guidelines soon," he said.
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As of now, in India only the Zydus Cadila vaccine has regulatory approval for being administered to children above the age of 12. The subject expert committee under the drug regulator has recommended Covaxin, from Bharat Biotech, for children above the age of 2. However, the drug regulator is yet to give final approval for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the vaccine.
The other two vaccines which are undergoing trials are from Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which is conducting phase 2/3 trials of Covid vaccine Covovax on children aged 2 to 17 years, and Biological E which is initiating phase 2/3 trials to evaluate the efficacy of Cobervax in children above 5 years.
Government data shows that for children, hospitalisation in case of Covid 19 was extremely uncommon. It was also seen that children were mostly asymptomatic, or had mild symptoms akin to the common cold.
