Covid vaccine trial on children near completion, policy will be implemented soon after approvals: Centre to HC

THE CENTRE on Friday told the Delhi High Court that trials of Covid-19 vaccines for those aged below 18 years were ongoing and the same are about to be completed. A policy will be formulated and implemented by the Centre for vaccination of children as expeditiously as possible after grant of requisite permissions by the body of experts, it submitted.

The submission was made in a petition seeking a direction for inclusion of children (12-18 age group) and their parents as priority group in the COVID-19 vaccine drive being undertaken in the national capital. The petition has been filed by a 12-year-old through her mother and a woman whose child is 8 years old.

The division bench of Chief Justice D.N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh on Friday said that the whole country was waiting for vaccination of the children. The court granted more time to the Centre and listed the case for hearing on September 6.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma earlier told the court Zydus Cadila, which is developing DNA vaccines, has concluded its trial for those aged between 12-18 years. Sharma further told the court that subject to statutory provisions, the same may be available in the near future for the children. Centre in a reply before the court also said that the Drug Controller General of India has permitted Bharat Biotech to conduct clinical trial on health volunteers between 2 years to 18 years of age for its vaccine Covaxin.

Declining a prayer seeking to make the process time-bound, the court said there cannot be a time limit for a research. “They are saying trials are on and it is on the verge of completion. You want a time bound schedule?” added the court.

It further said, “Everybody is in a hurry. Everybody is for the vaccine but a foolproof trial should be there, otherwise it will be a disaster”.

The petitioners in the plea have argued that, “The ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 has affected children in India far more than it did in the ‘first wave’ which affected the nation in the year 2020. The Respondents (authorities) should be mindful that the virulence and spread of the infection under the second wave has been far more in 2021 than it was in the first wave. Thus, news reports based on advice of medical doctors, virologists, who predict that a ‘third wave’ would be more virulent for children should not be ignored”.

It further argues that the inaction of the authorities in vaccination of children as well as their parents, being their primary caregivers, as a priority category has resulted in violation of the National Policy on Children 2013.

“Other countries of the world, where COVID-19 pandemic has been felt, like US and Canada, have already started administering appropriate dose of vaccine to children,” reads the petition, adding the authorities were ignoring the international and national medical data and opinion “which is clear that vaccinating children and their caregivers as a priority sector is an essential component for breaking the chain of COVID-19 virus transmission”.