In what could raise worries for parents amid a looming third wave of coronavirus, a committee of experts constituted under the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), set up on the directions of the Home Ministry, has concluded that “paediatric facilities — doctors, staff, equipment like ventilators, ambulances, etc. are nowhere close to what may be required in case a large number of children become infected”. The report has been submitted to the PMO. The report also says there is “cause for worry, if not panic” since children in India remain unvaccinated.
The issue of vaccines for children has been at least partially resolved with the national drug regulator last week approving Zydus Cadila’s three-dose RNA vaccine for children over 12. A second vaccine – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin – is expected to be approved by September.
Children between the age of 2 to 18 may be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19 by September this year, said Priya Abraham, the director of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s National Institute of Virology (Pune). Phase 2-3 clinical trials for the vaccines are currently underway on children.
Here is all you need to know about the vaccines in the pipeline and other important details:
What is the status of vaccines for children in India?
Guleria had earlier said that Bharat Biotech, Pfizer and Zydus vaccines for children will soon be available. “For children above two years of age, Covaxin from Bharat Biotech is under trial at Delhi AIIMS and five other hospitals and interim data is very much positive and encouraging. It will be available for children in September-October after final analysis of data,” he said.
Indian drug regulator DCGI on Friday approved Zydus Cadila’s three-dose COVID-19 DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above, bringing in the sixth vaccine authorized for use in the country.
Bharat Biotech has included children in its nasal vaccine trial. It is a one shot nasal vaccine.
Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla earlier said on Friday that the Covovax vaccine for kids will be launched in the first quarter of the next year—most likely in January-February.
Globally, mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNetch and Moderna, and those by Sinovac and Sinopharm have been tested on young people above 12, according to an article in the Nature journal. Several countries, including the US, Israel and China, are now offering the vaccines to this age group. No vaccine has been approved for those below 12 years old.
Pfizer’s vaccine already has US Food and Drug Administration’s approval for use on children aged 12-17 years; it expects approval for children between 5 and 11 years by September. The company is also conducting trials on children between 6 months and 11 years.
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, too, has started trials on children aged 12-17 years.
Will children of all age brackets be included?
Children in the age group of 12-18 will be given priority in vaccination. The vaccines may be made available for children less than 12 years in different phases of time, depending on the results of the clinical trials. India will need at least 200 million doses to cater to the pediatric population.
What will be the dose?
For children above 12 years, the dose is the same as adults for the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine. For children less than 12 years, Pfizer is doing studies with a lower dose. Regarding the Indian vaccine Covaxin, it is still uncertain about the dosage till such time that further research and studies are completed.
Are more and more children getting infected?
Doctors say the surge of the more-contagious Delta variant, rising and sometimes serious cases in children and adolescents, and the start of the school year are prompting more parents to consider getting their children vaccinated.
The number of Covid-19 cases in children has steadily increased since the beginning of July.
Is there a priority group?
According to a report by Economic Times, children over the age of 12 with underlying medical conditions are likely to be vaccinated first.
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