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NTAGI Panel Recommends Covovax for 12-17 Age Group in Vaccination Drive

NTAGI Panel Recommends Covovax for 12-17 Age Group in Vaccination Drive

New Delhi: The standing technical subcommittee of the NTAGI has recommended inclusion of Covovax – originally made by Novavax and manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Pune – in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for children aged 12 to 17 years, sources said on Friday.

NTAGI is short for ‘National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’.

India’s drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations among adults on December 28 last year and in the 12-17 age group, subject to certain conditions, on March 9.

“The COVID-19 working group of the NTAGI had earlier reviewed data related to Covovax and okayed it. The NTAGI’s Standing Technical Sub-Committee which met on Friday has recommended that the vaccine can be used for 12-17 years age group,” an official source said.

Also read: COVID-19: India Is the Only Country To Approve Corbevax. But Where’s the Data?

Serum Institute of India’s director for government and regulatory affairs Prakash Kumar Singh had written to the Union health ministry recently, requesting for Covovax’s inclusion in the immunisation drive for those 12 years and above.

Singh had stated that the Pune-based firm wanted to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and was waiting for directions to supply it to the Centre. However, the price of the vaccine for the government was not mentioned.

The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 years from March 16.

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