Covid vaccination for 5-12 age group: Here’s what Odisha health official says

Bhubaneswar: A day after Centre approved Corbevax for children aged 5-12 years, a senior health official in Odisha said that the Covid-19 vaccine will be administered to kids of the said age group once the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare issues a detailed guidelines for the same.

“Expert panel of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has recommended a Covid vaccine for children in 5 to 12 years age group for emergency use. After that the States will receive a directive for administration of vaccine among children of particular age group. Accordingly, arrangements will be made in schools and vaccination centres here for inoculation of Covid jab to children,” informed Odisha Health & Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi today.

Nearly, 50 lakh children are in the age group of 5-12 years in Odisha.

On sharp rise of Covid cases in other States, he suggested parents and school authorities to get children tested for Covid if they develop flu-like symptoms.

“As the Covid infections surged in other States, we need to be on alert,” he stated.

Yesterday, country’s drug regulator DCGI has granted permission for emergency use of Biological E’s Covid-19 vaccine ‘Corbevax’ for children in 5 to 12 years age group.

Developed by Hyderabad-based firm Biological-E, Corbevax is India’s first indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against Covid-19.

Currently, Corbevax is being administered to children among 12-14 years age group since March 16 this year.