New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that vaccination against COVID-19 for children between 15-18 years will start in the country from January 3, while “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers begin from January 10.
In an address to the nation amid increasing Covid cases through the Omicron variant of the virus, he said the precaution dose will also be available for citizens above 60 years of age and with comorbidities on the advice of their doctor from January 10 next year as well.
The prime minister used the term precaution dose and did not call it booster dose as it has been generally referred to.
Modi said global experience shows that following all preventive measures at personal level is a big weapon to fight Covid as he asked people to be alert and take all precautionary measures but cautioned against any panic.
He said vaccination is also an important weapon to combat the pandemic.
This is the time to be careful, while engaging in festivities, he said.
“I would urge all of you not to panic, be careful and alert. Remember to mask up and keep washing hands,” Modi said.
Administration of nasal vaccine and world’s first DNA vaccine against Covid will soon start in India as well, he said.
Earlier, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted emergency use authorisation to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children above 12 years with certain conditions, sources said on Saturday.
The Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the CDSCO on October 12 after deliberating Bharat Biotech’s EUA application had recommended granting emergency use approval to Covaxin for use in the 12-18 years age group with certain conditions.
“The recommendations of the SEC were evaluated by another experts committee after which DCGI had sought additional data from the firm,” a source said.
The DCGI gave its approval Friday, the source said.
