New Delhi: Covaxin Bharat Biotech is likely to be the only Covid-19 vaccine available, for now, for children in the age group 15-18 years, which will be invested from January 3, the official source said.
Also, health care workers and frontline and residents over 60 years with comorbidity will be given the same dose of the same vaccine that has been given earlier.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the address broadcast by the nation on Saturday night, announcing that vaccination against Covid-19 for children between 15-18 years will begin on January 3, while “prevention doses” for health workers and frontline workers will given from January 10.
The decision to come amid the increase in Covid cases related to the omicron variant of the virus.
Prevention doses will also be available for citizens over 60 years and with comorbidity of their doctor’s advice from January 10 next year too, the prime minister said.
“Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is the only Covid-19 vaccine to be given, for now, for children in the age group 15-18 years to be inoculated from January 3.
The population estimates that will be borne in this category are seven eight crores , “said the official source.
The source said that the Zydus Cadila Zycov-D vaccine has not been introduced in the country’s inoculation program, even for adults, although it has received an emergency use authorization from the drug regulator on August 20, making it the first vaccine that can be given in the age group 12-18 years in This country.
Zycov-D which was originally developed was the first-free covid-19 vaccine in the world.
The gap between the second and third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, which is being referred to as a “prevention dose”, is likely to be nine to 12 months.
The required modification is being carried out on the Cowin portal to register a new vaccination category.
The drug controller of India (DCGI) provides an emergency use authorization to Covaxin which was accidentally developed for children over 12 years with certain conditions on Friday.
More than 61 percent of Indian adult populations have received vaccine doses.
Similarly, around 90 percent of adult populations have received the first dose of covid vaccine.
The cumulative dose of covid-19 vaccine given in this country has exceeded 141 crores.