COVID-19 vaccination for 12-14 years age group to begin from Wednesday

The government on Monday said that after due deliberations, it has decided to start COVID-19 vaccination for 12-14 years age group i.e. those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010 from March 16, 2022. 

Those eligible from this age group will only be administered Corbevax vaccine manufactured by Biological E. Limited, Hyderabad.

India's drug regulator had granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Corbevax, India's first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19, for 12-18 years age group in February.

The government has also removed the condition of co-morbidity for COVID-19 precaution dose for population over 60 years of age. "Hence, from March 16, 2022 onwards, the entire population above 60 years of age will be eligible for precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine," the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to announce the change in vaccine administration policy. He urged new eligible age groups and all above 60 to receive vaccination.

Commenting on the change in vaccine administration policy, Dr Harsh Mahajan, President, NATHEALTH, Healthcare Federation of India, said, "Removal of this requirement will not lead to a dramatic rise in those above 60 years of age coming for vaccination. There was previously also no need for a doctor's prescription, regarding the presence of comorbidities, and all those wanting and eligible for a booster dose would have got it by now."

"Having said that, this announcement would certainly emphasise the benefits of a booster dose and the fact that even though the number of new cases in the community in India is very low, we cannot afford to let our guard down," he said.

The Indian government rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination program on January 16, 2021 for healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 years of age with comorbidities. Gradually, it was expanded to everyone above 14 years of age. India has cumulatively administered over 180 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses so far.

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