covid: Covid vaccination for 12-14 age group likely to start by March: NTAGI chief | India News – Rashtra News : Rashtra News
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PUNE: The Covid vaccination programme is set to start for the 12-14 age group from February-end, Dr N K Arora, chairman of the Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation told TOI on Sunday.
Adolescent vaccination is making impressive strides across the country. A total of 3.31 crore children in the age bracket of 15 to 17 years have already received their first dose, accounting for almost 45% coverage, just 13 days into the drive on January 3 this year.
“We aim to cover all the 7.4 crore adolescents in the 15-17 age bracket with the first dose by January-end so that we can start vaccinating them with the second dose from early February and finish the second dose by February-end. We want to start vaccinating children between 12 and 14 years from February-end or early March,” Dr Arora said.
Children aged 12 to 17 are quite like adults, experts said. “So, the decision was mainly taken to protect the adolescents in the 15-17 group first. Once their full vaccination is done, the government will take up the policy decision to include the next age group, which is the 12-14 bracket,” he added.
Dr N K Arora, chairman of the Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Sunday said that the Covid vaccination programme is set to start for the 12-14 age group from February-end.
Immunising adolescents is important as they are quite mobile. They go to schools, colleges, mingle and run a high risk of acquiring infection, particularly due to the fast-paced Omicron variant of the coronavirus. This is why the government prioritised this group from the under-18 category, experts said.
“Expanding the ambit of children’s vaccination is a welcome step. The government should also consider prioritising the vaccination of comorbid children in the 5-14 age group as they are also more at risk of developing severe Covid,” said Dr Pramod Jog, former national president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which is being given to the country’s adolescents (15-17 group) has the Centre’s Emergency Use Approval for children in the 2-17 group. The vaccine has been found safe and effective in children’s trials in the 2-17 age bracket.
Adolescent vaccination is making impressive strides across the country. A total of 3.31 crore children in the age bracket of 15 to 17 years have already received their first dose, accounting for almost 45% coverage, just 13 days into the drive on January 3 this year.
“We aim to cover all the 7.4 crore adolescents in the 15-17 age bracket with the first dose by January-end so that we can start vaccinating them with the second dose from early February and finish the second dose by February-end. We want to start vaccinating children between 12 and 14 years from February-end or early March,” Dr Arora said.
Children aged 12 to 17 are quite like adults, experts said. “So, the decision was mainly taken to protect the adolescents in the 15-17 group first. Once their full vaccination is done, the government will take up the policy decision to include the next age group, which is the 12-14 bracket,” he added.
Dr N K Arora, chairman of the Covid-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Sunday said that the Covid vaccination programme is set to start for the 12-14 age group from February-end.
Immunising adolescents is important as they are quite mobile. They go to schools, colleges, mingle and run a high risk of acquiring infection, particularly due to the fast-paced Omicron variant of the coronavirus. This is why the government prioritised this group from the under-18 category, experts said.
“Expanding the ambit of children’s vaccination is a welcome step. The government should also consider prioritising the vaccination of comorbid children in the 5-14 age group as they are also more at risk of developing severe Covid,” said Dr Pramod Jog, former national president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which is being given to the country’s adolescents (15-17 group) has the Centre’s Emergency Use Approval for children in the 2-17 group. The vaccine has been found safe and effective in children’s trials in the 2-17 age bracket.
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( News Source :Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Rashtra News staff and is published from a timesofindia.indiatimes.com feed.)
