E-Paper
Covid-19 vaccine: Children aged 12-14 years can get jabbed from March 16
Biological E’s anti-Covid vaccine Corbevax will be the jab administered to children aged 12-14 years
NEW DELHI: India will start vaccinating children aged 12-14 against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) from Wednesday, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday, adding that the precautionary dose of the jab will now be provided to everyone aged 60 years and above.
The move reflects the government’s intention to expand the Covid-19 vaccination programme based on updated scientific evidence to cover as much population as possible against the fatal viral infection.
Biological E’s anti-Covid vaccine Corbevax will be the jab administered to children aged 12-14 years. The central government has placed an order of 5 crore Corbevax vaccine doses and the supplies have also started coming in.
“If children are safe, then the country is safe. I am happy to announce that from March 16, Covid vaccination will start for children belonging to the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 years. Also, all 60 years and above will now be able to take the precaution dose. I request guardians of all children and persons in the 60 and above age group to come forward and take the vaccine shot,” Mandaviya tweeted.
The government expanded vaccination for children aged 15-18 years on January 3, and precautionary dose for all health care and frontline workers, and 60 years and above with comorbidities on January 10. According to government estimates, there are about 7.4 crore children in the 15-18 age group, and at least 3 crore in this age group have already taken both the shots.
“The Union government after due deliberations with scientific bodies has decided to start Covid-19 vaccination for 12-13 years and 13-14 years age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010, i.e., those who are already above 12 years of age) of population from 16 March 2022. The vaccine to be administered would be Corbevax manufactured by Biological Evans, Hyderabad,” the Union health ministry said in a statement.
Adolescents between 15-18 years are already being administered Bharat Biotech’s anti-Covid vaccine Covaxin under the ongoing national vaccination programme.
“The government has also decided that the condition of comorbidity for Covid-19 Precaution Dose for population over 60 years of age will be removed forthwith. Hence, 16 March 2022 onwards, the entire population above 60 years of age will be eligible for precaution dose of the vaccine,” the health ministry added.
