Indian children in
the 12 to 14-year age-group will start receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations
from Wednesday, March 16, the Union Health Ministry announced Monday. The
children will be given Biological E’s Corbevax. Further, the Centre has also
decided to remove the co-morbidity clause for receiving precautionary third
doses of COVID vaccines.

“If the children
are safe, the country is safe,” India’s health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said
making the announcement. “I am happy to inform that from March 16. COVID vaccination
of children in the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 is starting.”

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The decision to
started vaccinating 12–14-year-olds comes on the basis of the recommendation of
the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI). Biological E is
a Hyderabad-based Indian pharmaceutical company. It’s vaccine, Corbevax, has
been granted emergency-use authorization (EUA) to provide vaccines from
children aged 12 to 18 years. The company has also sought EUA to offer vaccines
to children aged five to 12.

The Corbevax
vaccine is administered through the intramuscular route. Recipients will need
to take two doses separated by 28 days. The vaccine is expected to cost Rs 145
excluding taxes, according to an ANI report. The report further said that the
Centre has already obtained 50 million Corbevax vaccines and delivered it to
some states.

Also Read | Complete list of COVID vaccines and treatments approved in India

As for the
comorbidity clause, the Union government had initially introduced third,
precautionary, doses of COVID vaccines for healthcare workers, frontline staff
and those posted on election duty as well as those aged 60 years and above and
suffering from comorbidities. The comorbidity clause has now been removed allowing
everyone above the age of 60 to take a third dose.

India reported 2,503
new COVID-19 infections on Monday. The number of active cases in the country stood
at 36,168, Union Health Ministry data showed. The total tally of COVID-19 cases
in India has crossed 4.29 crore. The death count has climbed to 5.15 lakh with
27 new deaths. Active cases now make up for 0.08% of the total infections.