Expanding India's universal COVID-19 vaccination drive, health ministry has announced vaccination program for children aged 12-14 years and precautionary dose for everyone above the age of 60, removing the co-morbidity clause, from today.
In a press statement, the Ministry has stated that “after due deliberations with scientific bodies”, it has decided to start vaccination for children above 12 years with Corbevax, manufactured by Biological Evans, Hyderabad.
With this, Corbevax becomes the third vaccine against COVID-19 in India and will be available at all centres from today.
Prime minister Narendra Modi, lauding the efforts of the health ministry and urging people to get vaccinated whenever their turn comes, has said, "Today is an important day in India’s efforts to vaccinate our citizens. Now onwards, youngsters in the 12-14 age group are eligible for vaccines and all those above 60 are eligible for precaution doses. I urge people in these age groups to get vaccinated."
Today is an important day in India’s efforts to vaccinate our citizens. Now onwards, youngsters in the 12-14 age group are eligible for vaccines and all those above 60 are eligible for precaution doses. I urge people in these age groups to get vaccinated.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 16, 2022
The Centre has released guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of children between 12-14 years. Two doses of Biological E's intramuscular vaccine Corbevax would be administered at an interval of 28 days, it said.
According to the guidelines, as of March 1, 2021, there are as many as 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 years in the country. According to the guidelines, all beneficiaries born in 2010 or earlier -- those who have already attained the age of 12 years -- will be able to register on CoWIN.
"The vaccination slots will be booked for 12-14-year age group for "CorBEvax" only through Co-WIN. The vaccinator has to ensure that the vaccine is administered to only those children who have completed the age of 12 years on the date of vaccination and if a child is registered but has not attained the age of 12 years, the vaccination is not to be given," the guidelines said.
Also, precaution dose can now be provided to all persons aged 60 years and above and the prioritization and sequencing of this dose would be based on completion of nine months -- 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose. The guidelines said the vaccination of precaution dose should be with the same vaccine with which primary vaccination was done.
# ➡️ Govt to expand COVID19 Vaccination for 12-13 yrs & 13-14 yrs age groups from 16th March, 2022. ➡️ All above 60 years now eligible for Precaution Dose from 16th March, 2022 onwards. https://t.co/RlwMYIzfRm pic.twitter.com/r65S3yPm4t — Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 14, 2022
The guidelines said all citizens irrespective of their income status are entitled to free COVID-19 vaccination at government COVID centres.
How to Register
The registration can be done through the following modes — self-registration through an existing account on Co-WIN of a family member or by creating a new account through a unique mobile number (this facility is available for all eligible citizens presently).
It can also be done through onsite registration by the vaccinator in facilitated registration mode and appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in) for 12-14 years.
Vaccination of 12-14 years would be conducted through dedicated inoculation sessions -- that is earmarked COVID-19 vaccination centres for 12-14 years' age-group -- to avoid their unintended vaccination with any other COVID-19 vaccines.
Precautions for Children
According to UNICEF, children may develop mild symptoms, such as headache, body ache, tiredness, fever and chills post-vaccination, which should die down in a couple of days.
UNICEF asks children to avoid getting vaccinated on an empty stomach and also advises to wait for at least 30 minutes at the vaccination centre after being vaccinated to monitor reactions. Children with known history of allergic reaction to any vaccine’s ingredients should consult a doctor before getting vaxxed.
According to official sources, around 7.11 crore children will be vaccinated under the new age group. Biological E Ltd has supplied 5 crore doses of Corbevax to the Centre and the vaccine has been distributed to states, sources said.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 180.58 crore on Tuesday, according to the Union health ministry.
With input from agencies
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