Covaxin Booster Jabs Trial Shows 'Long-Term Safety With No Adverse Events': Bharat Biotech

The Union Health Ministry has rubbished reports suggesting that Covaxin vaccine approval in the 15-18 age group has been given despite the WHO not having accorded EUL to its use in this age bracket.

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New Delhi: The trial of Covaxin booster jabs has demonstrated “long-term safety with no serious adverse events”, Covid-19 vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Saturday said.

“90% of recipients had a detectable neutralizing antibody response against the wild-type strain (6 months after the second dose),” the Covaxin maker said, ANI reported.

The Union Health Ministry has rubbished reports suggesting that Covaxin vaccine approval in the 15-18 age group has been given despite the WHO not having accorded EUL to its use in this age bracket.

Stating media reports in this regard are “highly ill- informed, misleading and far from the truth”, the ministry on Friday said: “These guidelines at no place mention about EUL by WHO. The guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry on 27th December, 2021, under the heading “New beneficiaries aged 15-18 years” at sub-heading (e), page 4 state that “For such beneficiaries, option for vaccination would only be available for Covaxin as this is the only vaccine with EUL for the age-group 15-18.”

The Health Ministry said the EUL by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for Covaxin vaccine for 12-18 years age group was accorded on December 24, 2021. 

“Subsequently, the guidelines for vaccination of 15-18 years age group of young adults and precaution dose for other identified categories was issued by a Union Health Ministry on 27th December, 2021,” the ministry added.

Earlier in the day, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said over two crore youngsters in the 15-18 years age group have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Mandaviya added that this took place in less than a week of vaccination drive for the children.

The Covid-19 vaccination for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years commenced from January 3.