In its move to expand Covid-19 vaccination coverage, India has started vaccination of children from ages 12-14 from today onwards.
The requirement of co-morbidity for people aged 60 and above to have a preventive dose has been eliminated, and anyone over the age of 60 can now receive booster shots. Corbevax, which is made by Biological Evans in Hyderabad, is the COVID-19 vaccine that will be given to those in the age group of 12 to 14.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan earlier stated that for the recipients of 12-14 age group only Corbevax vaccine would be used. Corbevax has become India’s third vaccine against COVID-19 and will be available at all free vaccination centres.
The Centre issued guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of adolescents of 12-14 years on Tuesday. The instructions said that two doses of Biological E’s intramuscular vaccine Corbevax would be given with a 28-day interval.
Children aged 14-15 have already been vaccinated as part of the vaccination programme for 15–18-year old’s, the Centre announced on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted this morning, urging all those eligible to get vaccinated.
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1503949505699336197?cxt=HHwWisCq9e2Gjd8pAAAA
Registration for the vaccine
According to the guidelines, there are at the least 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 years in the country as of March 1, 2021. All the ones born in or before 2010; the ones who have attained the age of 12 can register themselves on the CoWIN Portal.
According to the guidelines, for people above the age of 60, a preventive dose can now be taken after nine months- 39 weeks from the date of the second dose. The dose of the preventive vaccine should be the same vaccine which was used for primary vaccination.
Registration on the website can be done by following points: –
· Self-registration, through a family member’s existing CoWIN account
· Creating new account using a new mobile number
· through onsite registration by the vaccinator in facilitated registration mode
· By booking online or onsite (walk-in) appointments for 12-14 age group
