The stage is all set to vaccinate children above 12 years.
Vaccination for 12-14-year-olds will begin on Wednesday. Corebevax will be administered to this group.
“If children are safe, then the country is safe. I am happy to announce that from March 16, Covid vaccination will start for children belonging to the age group of 12-14 years,” union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.
The government has also decided to waive the condition of comorbidity for those above 60 years for receiving booster or “precaution dose”.
“All 60 years and above will now be able to take the precaution dose. I request guardians of all children and persons in the 60 and above age group to come forward and take the vaccine shot,” he said.
Over 6.5 crore children will be inoculated in this phase. The government has already placed an order of five crore Corbevax vaccine doses.
Covid vaccination is currently open to population groups of age 15 years and above. Last year, the government started an immunization programme last year. In the first leg, all health workers and frontline workers were inoculated. Later it expanded to other groups.
Over 75% of adolescents in the age group of 15-17 years have received at least one dose of Covaxin, while more than 46% are fully vaccinated with two doses.
Apart from Covaxin and Corbevax, Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D and Serum Institute of India’s Covovax have also been approved for emergency use in those above 12 years of age.
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