Covaxin can be administered in children from age 2: Expert Panel

New Delhi: Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin has got the Subject Expert Committee's (SEC) permission to administer in children between the ages of two and 18.

Junior Health Minister Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar told NDTV that the trials were conducted keeping the safety of children in mind. The final approval will be given by the Drug Controller General of India, and it is seen as a formality.

Bharat Biotech has submitted data from clinical trials in the two - 18 age group for Covaxin to CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation). The SEC provided positive recommendations. "We now await further regulatory approvals prior to product launch and market availability of Covaxin for Children", said the Hyderabad-based company.

Covaxin for Children has the same formulation as the vaccine used on adults. But separate trials were needed to guarantee safety and efficacy. The trial session included over 1000 children across the country, and the data is not public yet.

Earlier, Zydus Cadila's three-dose DNA jab was approved to be used on children above the age of 12. Other potential vaccines for children are s Serum Institute's Novavax and Biological E's Corbevax.

Dr Randeep Guleria, chief of Delhi's AIIMS, had earlier insisted that children of the age group 2-18 must be vaccinated to get rid of the pandemic. Dr NK Arora, the chief of India's vaccine task force, told earlier this month that children with severe comorbidities will be prioritised when it comes to administering the doses, reported ANI.

The World Health Organisation hasn't yet granted EUA to Covaxin.