Covid-19 vaccine for 12-14 age group from March 16, boosters for all above 60
NEW DELHI: The COVID vaccination for children in the age group of 12 -14 years will begin from March 16, while the co-morbidity clause for administering precaution doses to 60+ citizens has been removed, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Monday.
The COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to the 12-14 years age group would be Corbevax manufactured by Biological Evans, Hyderabad.
Tweeting the announcement in Hindi, the minister said, “if the children are safe then the country is safe! I am happy to inform that the COVID vaccination of children in the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 is starting from March 16. Also, everyone aged 60+ will now be able to get precaution doses.” He also urged the families of children and people in the age group of 60+ that they must get vaccinated.
The Union government after due deliberations with scientific bodies has decided to start COVID19 vaccination for 12-13 yr and 13-14 yr age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010. i.e those who are already above 12 years of age) of the population from March 16, 2022, the health ministry said in a statement.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2 last year.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
The country launched vaccination for all aged more than 45 years from April 1, 2021.
The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1 last year.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.
India began administering precaution dosez of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers, including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with co-morbidities, from January 10 this year amid a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by Omicron variant of the virus in the country.
Source: Press Trust of India
