Approval of Zydus covid-19 vaccine paves way for opening of schools
Premium- The ZyCoV-D vaccine will be administered to adults and children aged above 12 years.
New Delhi: After Zydus Cadila’s covid-19 vaccine received approval by the drug regulator for use under nationwide covid-19 program, children above age of 12 and adolescents may soon go back to schools and colleges.
As the vaccine is expected to be rolled out from September-end, Union health ministry may soon issue revised guidelines for opening of schools adding inoculation advice, officials have said.
“The government has issued advisories for schools and colleges from time to time during the covid-19 pandemic. With the Zydus vaccine approved by the authorities, we may revise the existing guidelines for schools shortly. Children above would now also be vaccinated," said a senior health ministry official.
Zydus Cadila received approval for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for ZyCoV-D on Friday.
The vaccine, developed indigenously, is now the world’s first DNA-based vaccine for covid-19 and will administered to adults as well as children aged above 12 years. Interim results from Phase-III clinical trials of the Zydus vaccine over 28,000 volunteers showed a primary efficacy of 66.6% for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases.
Now the schools are also up for re-opening and trying to overcome the new challenges hoping to start the vaccination of adolescents shortly. “The Zydus Cadila getting approval from regulators for children above 12 is encouraging. The challenge now would be for the government to prioritize vaccination for students to ensure schools can reopen. This has the potential to enable increased attendance to and help mitigate the significant social emotional losses that students have gone through during the covid lockdown," said Manit Jain, co-founder of The Heritage Schools.
Anirudh Khaitan, vice chairman of the Khaitan Public School, Ghaziabad felt relieved and excited to hear about the developments of the Zydus covid-19 vaccine for children above 12 years of age.
“We are of the firm belief that in about 3-4 months, the world will suddenly realize that covid is a thing of the past now and we have to look forward and rebuild our community from what it has been through. Schools will be fully functional from April 2022, and the first steps towards normalcy will start happening soon. KPS is waiting for their children to be back so the empty classrooms can fill with laughter and joy once again," said Khaitan.
Educational experts have underlined the importance of opening of schools.
“Covid-19, the worst pandemic of the era has hit the sector education hard. Students have been under complete strain, but government has given some hope by heralding the vaccination programme. Zydus vaccine brings hope for schools and colleges," said Professor Dr Vivek Mishra, Dean, Sri Sharda Group of Institutions, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Mishra said that school closures impact not only students, teachers and families, but they have far-reaching economic and societal consequences as well. Mishra argued that covid-induced school closures have shed light on various social and economic issues such as student debt, challenges to digital learning, food insecurity and homelessness. Apart from these, challenges related to access to child healthcare, housing, internet, and disability have also emerged.
According to a UNICEF report, the closure of 1.5 million schools due to the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns in India in 2020 impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. This was in addition to the 6 million girls and boys already out of school before the covid-19 crisis hit.
The UNICEF has recommended reopening schools in a staggered manner in interest of children's mental health.
“So far, data suggests that children under the age of 18 years represent about 8.5% of reported cases, with relatively few deaths compared to other age groups and usually mild disease. However, cases of critical illness have been reported. As with adults, pre-existing medical conditions have been suggested as a risk factor for severe disease and intensive care admission in children. Education plays a vital role in moulding a career, so we can’t ignore it anymore . There is a dire need to open education system with some safety measures," said Mishra.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!