Govt Panel Recommends SII-Manufactured Covovax In Vaccination Drive For 12 Yrs And Above

So far, India’s drug dealer had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults and in the 12-17 age group subject to certain conditions.

New Delhi: The Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has recommended the inclusion of Serum Institute-manufactured Covovax in the national vaccination drive for those aged 12 years and above.

According to a report by news agency PTI, official sources on Sunday said the Covid Working Group has now recommended to the Standing Technical Sub-Committee of the NTAGI to add the Covovax in the national vaccination programme for those above 12 years of age.

So far, India’s drug dealer had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults and in the 12-17 age group subject to certain conditions.

Notably, Serum Institute of India (SII) Director for Government and Regulatory Affairs Prakash Kumar Singh had written to the Union Health Ministry, requesting for the inclusion of Covovax in the immunisation drive.

"A meeting of the Covid-19 Working Group of the NTAGI took place on April 1 during which data of Covovax was reviewed, after which it recommended that the vaccine can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above," PTI quoted one of the sources as saying.

Singh had also said that the Pune-based firm wanted to provide the vaccine to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and was awaiting the directions to supply it to the Centre.

However, the price of Covovax for the government was not mentioned.

It is to be noted that India began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16 with Biological E's Corbevax.

In a letter to Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Singh had reportedly said that the private companies, educational institutes, social organisations, central government bodies and public sector undertakings were making requests for Covovax to vaccinate their staffers, families and children.

"Under the visionary leadership of our CEO Adar C Poonawalla, we have developed, manufactured and obtained emergency use authorisation from our national regulatory authority for one more world-class COVID-19 vaccine, Covovax, for 18 years and above on December 28, and for children in the age group of 12 to 17 years on March 9, 2022," an official source quoted Singh as having written in the letter.