Covid vaccine drive to cover 12 to 14-yr-olds from tomorrow

New Delhi, March 14

India will expand its Covid vaccination drive to cover children in the age group of 12-14 years from Wednesday, besides offering a booster dose to all those above 60 years irrespective of their comorbid status.

The Health Ministry today said, “The Union Government after due deliberations with scientific bodies has decided to start Covid vaccination for 12-13 years and 13-14 year age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010, i.e., those who are already above 12 years of age) of population from March 16. Corbevax manufactured by Biological E, Hyderabad, will be administered.”

Children above 14 years is already being administered Covid vaccine — Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

The government today decided to remove the condition of comorbidity for the precautionary dose for the population above 60 years of age.

“From March 16, the entire population above 60 years will be eligible for the precautionary dose of Covid vaccine,” the ministry said, with Covid cases at their lowest in 680 days and schools reopening in the midst of pandemic retreat.

Only 2,503 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, the lowest since May 2, 2020, when the country saw 2,293 cases in a day. This is significant considering India still conducted 7.96 lakh tests a day (last week) and recorded a weekly positivity rate of 0.47 per cent.