India widens Covid-19 vaccine basket for children as Covaxin, Corbevax, ZyCoV-D get DCGI green signal

Indian drug regulator has approved two more Covid-19 vaccines for children opening up the doors for the government to further expand the ongoing vaccination programme to the population below 12 years.

Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has been approved for kids between 6-12 years whereas Corbevax, manufactured by Biological E, received clearance for use in 5-12 years old, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said here on Tuesday.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation also approved a two-dose regimen of Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D vaccine for use in 12 plus kids.

Mandaviya made the announcement a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to meet the Chief Ministers to review the Covid situation as cases are on the rise in a few states including Delhi, Haryana and a few Uttar Pradesh districts adjacent to the national capital.

The CDSCO green signal comes a week after the Subject Expert Committee reviewed the application of Biological E and Bharat Biotech seeking emergency use authorisation for Corbevax and Covaxin for use in children of five to 12 years and six to 12 years age group, respectively. It also reviewed Zydus Cadila's application.

In December, the CDSCO granted emergency use for Covaxin in the 12-18 years category, following which the Union Health Ministry decided to inoculate 7.4 crore adolescents between 15-18 years with the homegrown vaccine. Nearly 5.8 crore of them received the first dose and more than four crore are fully vaccinated.

“Covaxin exhibits robust immune responses in children with two doses and six months follow up, indicating durability of immune responses. Data was presented to the CDSCO Subject Expert Committee and will be published in the weeks to come,” Bharat Biotech said in a statement.

Since March, Corbevax is being used on school-going children aged 12-14 years as offline teaching in schools resumed in every state. There are more than 7.11 crore children in this age bracket, of which nearly 2.7 crore received at least one dose and 43 lakh are fully vaccinated.

While the regulator approved a two-dose regimen of ZyCoV-D for the 12 plus population, the Union Health Ministry is yet to decide whether the indigenous DNA vaccine would be administered to more than 14 crore adolescents, who are now getting Covaxin (15-18 years) and Corbevax (12-14 years).

More than 86% of India’s 93 crore plus adult population is now fully vaccinated.

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