NTAGI MAY DISCUSS VACCINATION FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12

NEW DELHI: The central government’s top expert panel on vaccinations is likely to take up the matter of including children under 12 years of age in the country’s Covid-19 immunisation programme in its next meeting, according to people familiar with the matter.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is also set to discuss the possible rollout of Corbevax as booster dose that can be mixed with other types of vaccines.

The developments come at a time when expert opinion is still divided on whether or not there is an urgent need to vaccinate younger children against Covid-19. Currently, everyone over the age of 12 years is covered under India’s Covid vaccination drive that began on January 16, 2021.

“Several key issues are being deliberated upon by experts from NTAGI, and lowering the age of vaccination may be one of the issues on the meeting agenda. The other issue that is likely to feature is the inclusion of heterologous Covid vaccine shot as a booster dose,” said a central government official, requesting anonymity.

A heterologous booster dose is different from the primary vaccine administered. Decks were cleared for the mixing of Covid-19 vaccines this Saturday when India’s drugs regulator approved Hyderabad-based Biological E’s anti-covid vaccine Corbevax as the first mix-andmatch booster dose for adults.

Once a decision is taken unanimously by its members, then NTAGI accordingly makes recommendations to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, which then takes the final policy level decision.

A senior government functionary on condition of anonymity said if Centre decides to open up vaccination for children under 12, then it is likely to be administered only at government vaccination centres.