A vial and syringe in front of the Novavax logo are seen in this illustration. Photo: Reuters/Dado Ruvic
New Delhi: A Covid working group of NTAGI will review this week data of Serum Institute of India (SII)’s anti-COVID jab Covovax to decide whether it can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above, official sources said on Wednesday.
India’s drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, and in the 12-17 years age group subject to certain conditions on March 9, 2022.
Director of government and regulatory affairs at SII, Prakash Kumar Singh, recently had written to the health ministry urging it to include Covovax in the national COVID-19 vaccination drive for 12 years and above.
Singh stated that the Pune-based firm wants to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and is also waiting for directions to supply the vaccine to the Centre but has not mentioned the price.
“The COVID-19 working group of the NTAGI is set to meet on April 1 and review the data of Covovax to decide whether it can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above this week,” an official source said.
In a letter to Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Singh was learnt to have said that private companies, educational institutes, social organisations, central government organisations and public sector undertakings are making requests for Covovax to inoculate their staffers, families and children.
The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16.