Actively participate in Covid vaccination for kids when it begins: Centre to panchayat leaders

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday called on all panchayat leaders to play an active role in COVID-19 vaccination for children once it is approved while expressing hope that it will pave the way for the reopening of schools.

The vaccination for those below 18 years of age is yet to be started in the country, which has already crossed the 100-crore-dose mark in vaccinating adults against COVID-19.

As part of the Panchayati Raj webinar series under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav activities, Panchayati Raj Secretary Sunil Kumar interacted with the elected representatives and functionaries of the Panchayati Raj institutions and appreciated their role in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Kumar called on them for playing an active role in vaccinating children in the future and expressed hope that the availability of vaccines for children will pave the way for the reopening of school and related activities, the Ministry of Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj said in a statement.

Currently, three COVID-19 vaccines — Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V — are being administered in the country to only those beneficiaries aged above 18 years. All of these are two-dose vaccines.

Zydus Cadila’s indigenously-developed needle-free Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D is set to become the first vaccine that will be available in the country for those in the age group of 12-18 years. It has received the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 has recommended that the DCGI grant emergency use authorization to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for children in the age group of two to 18 years.

These two vaccines are yet to be included in the ongoing vaccination drive in the country.