NEW DELHI : Children below 12 may have to wait longer for covid-19 vaccines despite the drug regulator clearing it in April, as fewer infections and lower mortality among children, as well as limited uptake among children above 12, delay a decision.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on 26 April granted emergency use authorization for Biological E’s Corbevax for those aged five to 12 years, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children aged six to 12 years.
Since then, the National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (NTAGI) has met several times to evaluate paediatric vaccination data, an official aware of the matter said. “Right now, our focus is mainly on children and adolescents between 12-18 years of age and their vaccination coverage.
There is a chance of severe hospitalization with high risk of mortality and long covid complication in these age groups. So, we are evaluating the pediatric data of this age group.