Vax for 15-18 age group from Jan 3; booster for elders a week later: PM
‘Precaution dose’ for healthcare and frontline workers from Jan 10; DCGI clears Covaxin for kids
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that vaccination against COVID-19 for children between 15-18 years will start in the country from January 3, while “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers begin from January 10.
In an address to the nation amid increasing COVID cases through the Omicron variant of the virus, he said the precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year as well.
The Prime Minister used the term precaution dose and did not call it booster dose as it has been generally referred to.
Modi said global experience shows that following all preventive measures at the personal level is a big weapon to fight COVID as he asked people to be alert and take all precautionary measures but cautioned against any panic.
He said vaccination is also an important weapon to combat the pandemic. This is the time to be careful, while engaging in festivities, he said.
“I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Remember to mask up and keep washing hands,” Modi said.
Administration of nasal vaccine and world’s first DNA vaccine against COVID will soon start in India as well, he said.
Not long before the Prime Minister announced vaccination for children between 15 and 18 years will start from January 3, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted emergency use authorisation to indigenously-developed Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children above 12 years with certain conditions.
It is the second vaccine to receive the regulator’s nod for use among those below 18 years after Zydus Cadila’s needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D.
The Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on October 11 after deliberating Bharat Biotech’s emergency use authorisation (EUA) application had recommended granting emergency use approval to Covaxin for use in the 2-18 years age group with certain conditions.