Covid-19 vaccines for children expected around Sept-Oct: AIIMS chief
PremiumHopefully... approvals will be there so that by September-October we'll have vaccines from our country which we can give to children, said Dr Randeep Guleria
As trials progress, Covid-19 vaccines suited for children will be available in India by September-October, stated Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
Talking to news agency ANI, Dr Guleria emphasised on the need to vaccinate children in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. "Children usually have mild disease but we need to develop vaccines for children because if we have to control this pandemic everyone should be vaccinated," he said.
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On the question of when a vaccine for children can be expected, Dr Guleria informed that trails are progressing well and results might materialise by the latter end of this year.
"Already Pfizer has got FDA approval for children and that has also been permission to come to our country. Bharat Biotech and other companies are doing trials at a very fast pace as parents have come forward with their children for the trials," the AIIMS top doctor said.
"One is hopeful that trial will be completed early and possibly with follow up of about 2-3 months we shall have data by September. Hopefully, by that time, approvals will be there so that by September-October we'll have vaccines from our country which we can give to children," he added.
Started on January 16 this year, the nationwide vaccination programme against novel coronavirus in India has been expanded to include people up to the age of 18 years. Existing vaccines are still not deemed fit for administering to children.
Studies earlier this month showed that two Covid -19 vaccines - one developed by Moderna and another an experimental protein-based jab - were effective against Covid-19 in children. Both shots showed good antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 in a trial on baby rhesus macaques.
Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India is hoping to begin the clinical trials of Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine, Covovax, on children in July. This will be the fourth coronavirus vaccine to undergo a clinical trial for children in the country.
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