Govt panel investigating new Delta sub-variant: Mandaviya

A government panel of experts has been looking into a Delta coronavirus subvariant, AY.4.2, that has been detected in Britain, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

“A team is investigating the new Covid-19 variant AY.4.2 … ICMR and NCDC teams will study and analyse the different variants,” the Minister said.

Last week, Britain's Health Security Agency said that it was investigating AY.4.2 as it was possibly more transmissible than Delta, though there was no evidence that it caused more severe disease or rendered vaccines ineffective.

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It said that the AY.4.2 variant had accounted for 6% of all genetic sequences of SARS-CoV2 in the week beginning September 27.

On Monday, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot asked the central government to prepare and issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) to check the spread of AY.4.2.

INSACOG, a consortium of labs that are engaged in sequencing coronavirus variants, have said that there is no spike in Covid-19 cases due to the AY.4.2 subvariant.

Also Read | Delta variant does not increase hospitalisations, no major difference from previous waves: CDC study

Mandaviya also mentioned that ongoing discussions on the pricing of children's vaccine ZyCoV-D were in their last stage, and it will be rolled out soon.

The RNA-based vaccine, meant for the age group of 12 to 18 besides adults, got the Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20.

Asked about DCGI's approval of Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine for kids, Mandaviya said he would wait for experts to give their advice.

Also Read | Britain says investigating Covid-19 Delta subvariant as possibly more transmissible 

“We are exercising strict caution when it comes to getting children vaccinated and we would proceed only based on recommendations we get from experts,” he said.

“The government does not want to act hastily in rolling out vaccines for children. It is expected that healthy children could get vaccinated from next year onwards. At the same time, comorbid children could be vaccinated earlier,” Mandaviya said.

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