COVID-19 vaccines for children will be launched `very soon`: Health Minister

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya claimed that COVID-19 vaccines for children, which are currently under trial phases in India, will likely be launched `very soon` maybe as early as September.

New Delhi: Amid worries of a possible third wave of COVID-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday claimed that COVID-19 vaccines for children will likely be launched in India "very soon".

He said that the results of an ongoing research for development of COVID-19 vaccines for children by Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech is due to be released next month and following that the COVID-19 antidote is likely to be launched at the soonest.

"The Indian government has already given permission to Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech to conduct research for developing a COVID-19 vaccine for children. We are expecting that results of their research will arrive next month. I am confident that vaccines for children would become a reality very soon," Mandaviya told reporters in Rajkot.

Further, Mandaviya assured that the Centre is committed to vaccinate every citizen.

Meanwhile, ICMR-NIV Director Priya Abraham on August 18 informed that trials of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin Phase II and III are currently underway for children in the age group of 2-18 years. 

"Hopefully, the results are going to be available very soon. The results will be presented to the regulators. So, by September or just after it, we may have COVID-19 vaccines for children," Abraham was quoted by PIB in a press release.

Also, Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine trial is going on which can also be used for children and will be made available. 

The Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila will be launched for children who are 12 and above, subject to statutory permissions.

It is claimed Zydus Cadila's coronavirus vaccine ZyCoV-D can be given to both adults and children.