Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine unlikely to be given to kids in India

The Pfizer-BNT Covid-19 vaccine is unlikely to be used in children even after it comes to India, NITI Ayog member Vinod Paul said on Friday, observing that the Indian requirement is far more than what would come from the pharmaceutical giant.

While Indian officials are negotiating with the company for a likely supply of 5 crore doses between July and October, Paul said India would be needing 25-26 crore doses to vaccinate the entire population of children aged 12-18 years.

"Child cohort is not a small cohort. My rough guess is that if it is between 12 to 18 years, this itself is about 13 to 14 crore population and for which we will need about 25-26 crore doses. We can’t have some people getting and others not getting. So we will have to take this into account when we strategize and make a decision based on how many doses of which vaccines are available," he said.

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A Pfizer spokesperson told DH that its vaccine has been approved for pediatric use in the USA, Canada and Algeria, and recently received approval for use in the EU.

Paul said no decision on granting indemnity to any foreign or Indian Covid vaccine-manufactures had been taken yet and such decisions would be taken in "totality and in the interest of people." The company has asked for indemnity before bringing out its vaccine to the Indian market.

"We have checked with other countries and the World Health Organisation. Indeed they have supplied vaccines only after such indemnities have been given. This appears to be the fact. We are in negotiation with them but there is no decision at the moment."