The Vaccination drive for children in the age group of 12-14 years of age against coronavirus will commence on March 16, 2022, i.e, from Wednesday.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a release on Tuesday said that “The Union government, after due deliberations with scientific bodies, has decided to start the Covid-19 vaccination for 12 to13-year and 13 to14-year age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010 i.e. those who are already above 12) on 16th March 2022.”
Expressing happiness over it, the Minister of Health & Family Welfare tweeted, “If the children are safe then the country is safe! I am happy to inform you that from March 16, Covid vaccination of children in the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 is starting. Also, everyone aged 60+ will now be able to get precaution doses. I urge the families of children and people in the age group of 60+ that they must get the vaccine.”
Dr Sameer Bhati, Public Health Expert, Member Vaccination Awareness Committee, said, that India must celebrate this expansion of COVID-19 vaccination coverage making the kids of 12 to 14 years eligible for joining the safety shield against the pandemic.
“Corbevax has indeed joined the Covid vaccination campaign at the right time and shall surely become a relief for school-going children. We must involve the school authorities to expedite the vaccine coverage and reach out to every eligible child strengthening their circle of protection,” he said.
“Moreover, it was extremely essential to protect our senior citizens amid the recent surge seen in China. Making all the above 60 population eligible for precautionary dose unconditionally will definitely maximize the protection against pandemic and increase the pace of our vaccination drive,” Bhati added.
Further, Dr Naveen Parkash Gupta, a senior consultant of Neonatology at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital said, “I don’t have the data for those phase three trials, but as the government has approved, then the good efficacy has been found in those trials.”
On the cost of the vaccine, he said, “it will be cost-effective there will be two doses which will be given intramuscularly.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet, said that COVID-19 vaccination of 12-14-year-olds and ‘precaution dose’ for all those above 60 years to begin from March 16.
Manaviya further said, “If children are safe then the country is safe!”
Notably, COVID-19 vaccination for the 15-18 year age group began on January 3.
As per the data of the Union Health Ministry, 3,37,70,605 children between 15 and 18 years of age group have received the second dose, while 5,58,92,605 have received their first dose of COVID vaccine.
Earlier today, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet, said that COVID-19 vaccination of 12-14-year-olds and ‘precaution dose’ for all those above 60 years to begin from March 16.
The data has been submitted by the company to the Subject Expert Committee for beneficiaries between 5-12 years of age.
Recently, the Subject Expert Committee recommended Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Biological E’s COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for the age group of 12 to 18 years under certain conditions.
With Agency inputs…
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