People in the age group of 12 to 17 years can now get the Serum Institute of India’s COVID-19 vaccine Covovax at private centres, provision is being made on the CoWIN portal. PTI report good.
Reports say a dose of Kovovax will cost 900 plus GST, in addition to hospital service charges 150.
The decision came after the COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recommended that the Covid-19 jab be administered to people aged 12-17 years.
SII’s director of government and regulatory affairs, Prakash Kumar Singh, recently wrote to the Union health ministry requesting it to include Kovovax in the vaccination campaign for children aged 12 to 17 years.
In his letter, Singh had said that the Pune-based firm wants to make Kovovax available to private hospitals at a per-dose rate. 900 plus Goods and Services Tax (GST).
An official source said, “People in the age group of 12-17 can now opt for Kovovax shot in private hospitals. A provision has been made for this on the Kovin portal on Monday evening.” PTI,
India’s drug regulator on December 28 last year approved Kovovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults and in the 12-17 age group, on March 9, subject to certain conditions.
Currently children aged 12 to 14 are vaccinated with the biological EK intramuscular vaccine Corbevax, while children in the 15-18 age group are being given Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin at government immunization centres.
Meanwhile, India’s Covid case positivity rate again exceeded one per cent after two months as the country on Monday witnessed a one-day increase of 3,157 infections and 26 fatalities.
The increase recorded today took the country’s total Covid tally to 4,30,82,345 cases and 5,23,869 deaths, the data said.