DCGI gives emergency use nod to Covaxin for kids aged 6-12 amid fourth wave scare

A beneficiary reacts while receiving a dose of Covid-19 vaccine (ANI Photo)

New Delhi: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given a restricted emergency use authorisation to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for children aged 6-12 years, ANI news agency reported on Tuesday (April 26, 2022).

Currently, Biological E's Corbevax is being used to inoculate children against Covid-19 in the age group of 12 to 14 years and Covaxin is being administered to children in the age group of 15-18 years.

Covaxin has so far been granted Emergency Use Listing by the DCGI for the age group of 12 to 18 years. The nod was given on December 24, 2021, and the vaccination drive for children in the age group of 15-18 years commenced on January 3 this year. Subsequently, India began inoculating children aged 12-14 on March 16.

Last week, media reports had claimed that the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the DCGI had asked the Hyderabad-based firm for additional data on its Covid-19 vaccine for administering it to children aged between 2-12 years.

It is noteworthy that the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.

The next phase of coronavirus vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.

The next phase of vaccination commenced on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.

Precaution doses of  Covid-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years were allowed at private vaccination centers from April 10.

Over 187 crore people administered Covid-19 vaccine doses

So far, over 187 crore people have been administered Covid-19 vaccine doses in the country. More than 2.70 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of vaccine. Over 4.68 lakh precaution doses have been administered in age group 18-59 years so far.

2,483 new coronavirus infections in India, active cases at 15,636

With 2,483 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 4,30,62,569, while the active cases dipped to 15,636, according to the Union Health Ministry data showed on Tuesday morning.

The death toll climbed to 5,23,622 with 1,399 new fatalities as Assam reconciled 1,347 deaths and Kerala 47 due to the infection, the data updated at 8 am said.

The daily positivity rate currently stands at 0.55 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is at 0.58 per cent, according to the Mansukh Mandaviya-led ministry.