According to sources, the Drug Controller General of India has given BharatBiotech’s Covaxin Restricted Emergency Use Authorization for children in the age group of 6-12 years.
This development comes following the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Covid-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
The SEC last week approved Corbevax and . had reviewed the applications of both the companies seeking emergency use authorization for covaxin For use in children aged five to 12 years and six to 12 years, respectively.
Biological EK Corbevax is being used to vaccinate children aged 12 to 14 years against COVID-19. Covaxin has been granted an Emergency Use List (EUL) by DCGI for the age group of 12 to 18 years as on December 24, 2021.
India started immunization of children in the age group of 12-14 on 16 March. The nationwide vaccination campaign was launched on January 16 last year, in which health workers were vaccinated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.
next stage of covid-19 vaccination It was started on March 1 last year for people above 60 years of age and 45 years and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
India started vaccination for all people above 45 years of age from 1st April last year. Following this, the government decided to expand its vaccination campaign by allowing everyone over the age of 18 to be vaccinated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.
The next phase of vaccination began on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.
India began giving preventive doses of vaccines to health care and frontline workers and people aged 60 years and above from January 10.
Precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccines were allowed to all people above 18 years of age at private immunization centers from April 10.
(with inputs from agencies)