Coronavirus Less Severe Among Children, Adolescents Than Adults: Govt In Lok Sabha

As on July 26 this year, 9.96 crore first doses (82.2 per cent coverage) and 7.79 crore second doses (64.3 per cent coverage) have been administered to children between 12-18 years of age.

A child being administered the Covid-19 vaccine

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New Delhi: Coronavirus infections among children and adolescents are less severe as compared to adults, according to the WHO, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Replying to a few questions on the effect of Covid on children, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, in a written statement, said that Omicron and its sub-lineages were found in 7,362 samples, while Delta and its sub-lineages were detected in 118 samples analysed by the INSACOG from January 1 2022 to July 25, 2022 in children aged 0-18 years.

"According to World Health Organization, SARS-CoV-2 infections among children and adolescents typically cause less severe illness as compared to adult," news agency PTI quoted Pawar as saying.

Responding to a question on the current status of vaccination of children between the age group of 12 and 18 years, and 5 and 12 years, Pawar said that as on July 26 this year, 9.96 crore first doses (82.2 per cent coverage) and 7.79 crore second doses (64.3 per cent coverage) have been administered to children between 12-18 years of age.

Vaccination below 12 years of age has not started under the national Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country, the minister said, adding that adequate vaccine doses have been made available to all the states and union territories to inoculate all eligible children.

Meanwhile, India clocked 20,409 new Covid cases pushing the total count to 4,39,79,730, while the active cases declined to 1,43,988, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll reached 5,26,258 with 32 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Notably, the active cases comprise 0.33 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate was recorded at 98.48 per cent, the ministry further said.

However, a decrease of 2,335 cases has been recorded in the active caseload in the span of 24 hours.