The Standing Technical Sub-Committee of the NTAGI has recommended inclusion of the Serum Institute’s Covovax in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for children aged 12 to 17 years, sources said recently.
India’s drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on 28th December last year and in the 12-17 age group, subject to certain conditions, on 9th March.
The COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) had earlier reviewed data related to Covovax and okayed it. The NTAGI’s Standing Technical Sub-Committee which met recently has recommended that the vaccine can be used for 12-17 years age group, according to an official source.
Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Serum Institute of India (SII), had written to the Union Health Ministry recently, requesting for Covovax’s inclusion in the immunisation drive for those aged 12 years and above.
Singh had stated that the Pune-based firm wanted to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and was waiting for directions to supply it to the Centre. However, the price of the vaccine for the government was not mentioned.
Edits by EP News Bureau