Bhubaneswar: Amidst the declining trend of COVID-19 in the state, the Centre has decided to begin vaccination of children in the age group of 12 -15 years from March 16.

As per official sources the children of the said age group will be administered with Biological E's Corbevax.

Besides, precaution dose to all people aged 60 years and above will begin on the same day as the co-morbidity clause for the same would be removed, said Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya today.

"If children are safe then the country is safe! I am happy to inform that the Covid vaccination program for the children in the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 is starting from March 16", he said in a tweet.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has given its recommendation to begin vaccination of children in the 12-15 years age group.

Those teenagers born in 2008, 2009 and 2010 or those who are already above 12 years of age of population will be administered Covid vaccines from March 16. The Covid-19 vaccine to be administered would be Corbevax manufactured by Hyderabad based Biological E, said the Union Health Ministry.

The ministry further said population above 14 years of age is already being inoculated under the ongoing vaccination drive.