COVID-19 vaccine: NTAGI to review Covovax data for use in kids aged 12 years and above

A COVID working group of NTAGI will review this week’s data of Serum Institute of India’s (SII) anti-coronavirus jab Covovax to decide inclusion in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating children aged 12 years and above, official sources said yesterday.

India’s drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on 28th December, 2021, and those aged 12 to 17 years subject to certain conditions on 9th March.

Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, SII, recently had written to the health ministry urging it to include Covovax in the national COVID-19 vaccination drive for children aged 12 years and above.

Singh stated that the Pune-based firm wants to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST, and is awaiting directions to supply the vaccine to the Centre, but has not mentioned the price.

“The COVID-19 working group of the NTAGI is set to meet on April 1 and review the data of Covovax to decide whether it can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above this week,” an official source said.

In a letter to Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, Singh was learnt to have said that private companies, educational institutes, social organisations, central government organisations and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are making requests for Covovax to inoculate their staffers, families and children.

“Under the visionary leadership of our CEO Adar C Poonawalla, we have developed, manufactured and obtained Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from our national regulatory authority for one more world-class COVID-19 vaccine Covovax for 18 years and above on 28th December, 2021, and for children of 12 to 17 years on 9th March, 2022,” an official source had quoted Singh as having said in the letter.

Edits by EP News Bureau