Covid jab for 12-14 yrs from tomorrow

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday decided to widen India's vaccination ambit further, allowing doses for children aged 12 to 14 years and boosters for all those who are above 60.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that children falling in the 12-14 age bracket will be eligible for Covid vaccination from Wednesday. Thus far, vaccination was only allowed for those aged 15 and above. The estimated population of this age group is 7.11 crore, said government sources.

The younger adolescents will be offered Corbevax by Hyderabad-based Biological E, a receptor binding domain protein subunit vaccine, developed in collaboration with the USA's Baylor College. And those in the 15-17-year age group will continue to get Covaxin.

Corbevax, to be administered in two doses given 28 days apart, was granted the emergency use authorization by the Drug Controller General of India for use in 12-plus population groups in December last year.

The Health ministry said that the decision has been taken following "due deliberations with scientific bodies". This means that those born in 2008-2010 will now also be eligible for shots against Covid-19.