India may have 4 Covid-19 vaccines for children soon: All you need to know

Among these four vaccines, three are made in India. Though it is not scientifically proved that if a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic comes, it will mostly impact children.

The prospect of getting four vaccines ready for children seems plausible with the Serum Institute of India planning to start the trials of Covavax on children in July. Bharat Biotech has two vaccines which are being tried on children while the trial for Zydus Cadilla's vaccine against Covid-19 included children from the very beginning. So if everything goes according to the plans of the vaccine makers, India will have four vaccines for children.

Children are not at a greater risk of contracting Covid-19, but several other countries have started inoculating children.

Covaxin

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin in an Indian vaccine developed by the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker and the Indian Council of Medical Research. While the vaccine is being administered to adults and has around 78 per cent efficay. Now the vaccine is in the trial phase on children between 2 to 18 years old.

Bharat Biotech's nasal vaccine (BBV154)

Bharat Biotech's one-shot nasal vaccine, which is believed to emerge as a game-changer, is already under trial. And since it's a nasal vaccine, making it very convenient for children's vaccination, the trial included children.

Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D

Zydus Cadila's ZyCov-D is another vaccine which is being tested on children belonging to the age group of 12 to 18, apart from adults. This vaccine will soon apply for licensure and when it gets cleared, the vaccine can be administered to children.

Novavax/Covavax

Novavax or Covavax will be the fourth vaccine to begin clinical trials for children in India. The vaccine has been developed by Novavax which has a tie-up with Pune's Serum Institute of India. The vaccine has overall efficacy of 90.4 per cent.

Are children at greater risk?

No, despite assumptions and projections that the possible third wave of the pandemic in India will affect children, there is no scientific evidence regarding it, experts have reiterated. Children are not at a greater risk of contracting the virus; the risk is not less either.