SII’s Covovax becomes the fourth jab to be used for vaccination of 12-17 age group

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has recommended Serum Institute of India’s Covovax for vaccination of those aged 12 years and above.

India’s drug regulator had approved Covid-19 vaccine Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28 and in the 12-17 age group, subject to certain conditions, on March 9.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) Director for Government and Regulatory Affairs, Prakash Kumar Singh had written to the Union Health Ministry recently, requesting for Covovax’s inclusion in the immunisation drive. Covovax got emergency-use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for children aged 12 to 17 years in the last week of March.

India began vaccinating children aged 12 to 14 years against Covid from March 16. At present, Biological E’s Corbevax is being used to inoculate them. Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine in India will be marketed in by the Serum Institute of India under the brand name Covovax.

Pune-based firm wanted to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST. However, the price of the vaccine for the government was not mentioned. Covovax is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine candidate which was authorised for administration in adolescents aged 12 years and older in the country after Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Biological E’s Corbevax.

Official data shows that over 9.58 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine (including both doses) have been given in the 15 to 17 age group whereas over 1.86 crore doses have been given in the 12 to 14 age group.