Covid-19 vaccine: Do children need separate vaccine?

Covid-19 vaccine has been rolled out in India and  healthcare and frontline workers have already been given first does of Covid-19 vaccine. But, experts claimed that the vaccines may not be initially recommended for children.

However, Bharat Biotech recently announced that it will start the trials of its indigenous Covaxin on children and youngsters in the age group of 2-18 years by February-end or early March

It is said that the tests will be conducted for children in the age group of 2-5 years, 6 to 12 years and 12-18 years. Also a special protocol will be maintained for such trials.

The trials will take place at a leading children’s hospital in Nagpur once Bharat Biotech receives approval from the government

As reported by India today, children can be given only those vaccines that have been developed from an inactivated virus. A vaccine developed from a live virus cannot be given to children.

Covaxin of Bharat Biotech and Covishield of Oxford University-AstraZeneca are approved in India but only Covaxin is developed from inactivated virus.

The inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) biocontainment facility, one of its kind in the world.