Govt to start vaccination for kids only after nod to Covaxin

Govt to start vaccination for kids only after nod to Covaxin

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:09.11.2021

Children may have to wait for some more time to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as the government will start immunisation for kids only after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is approved for use which might take a few more weeks, a senior official told TOI.

The government is concerned that supplies of ZyCoV-D — a three-dose vaccine given emergency use authorisation (EUA) for children between 12-17 years — may not be adequate to begin inoculating children. Covaxin, currently in use for adults, has been recommended for use in children of 2-18 years. However, the final approval for EUA is pending with the DCGI. The regulator has been cautious in its approach as the vaccinations concern young children. The official said data has been reviewed thoroughly now and DCGI approval for use of Covaxin in children is expected by end of November.

The government plans to initiate vaccination with children who have been diagnosed with certain health conditions that make them more vulnerable to Covid.

Centre places order for 1cr Zydus doses

The health ministry placed an order for one crore doses of Zydus Cadila’s Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D, at ₹358 per dose, exclusive of GST. The government aims to to start distribution of the jabs by December once supply begins. ZyCov-D, the world’s first DNA vaccine, is a three-dose vaccine that will be given on day zero, day 28 and day 56. P 8

‘ZyCoV-D supplies may not suffice to cover all children’

“We will wait for Covaxin to be approved for used in children before opening up Covid immunisation programme. ZyCoV-D supplies are limited and may not suffice to cover all children. Besides, it has been approved only for children above 12 years of age,” the official said.

Once the DCGI approves Covaxin for use in children, it will be reviewed by National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) before the final guidelines for immunisation of children are issued. The government expects to begin the programme for children by end of December or early next year, once approval is granted.

There are around 44 crore children in the country as per current data and government estimates around 10-12% will be eligible under prioritisation. With limited supplies of ZyCoV-D, it may be difficult for the government to ensure smooth supplies for such a large cohort, the official said.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children above five recently. The EU regulators have not yet authorised any Covid vaccine for children below age 12.