Ensure age of children ahead of vax: Centre
Premium- The Centre also said vaccinators and vaccination teams need to be trained to ensure that particularly for 12-14 years age group there is no mixing of vaccines.
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Tuesday asked States and Union Territories to ensure that vaccine is administered to only those who have completed the age of 12 years and not to ones who have registered on the government portal but are yet to attain the requisite age. Covid-19 vaccination for adolescents in the age group of 12-14 years is scheduled to begin Wednesday.
According to the data provided by Registrar General of India (RGI), approximately 4,71,43,000 children in 12-14 years of age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010. i.e., those who are already above 12 years of age) are eligible for free of cost covid-19 vaccine at the government Covid vaccination centres from Wednesday onwards.
Rajesh Bhushan, secretary at the MoHFW in a letter to States/UTs said, “A detailed guideline has been prepared for the vaccination of children in 12-14 years of age. As CorBEvax vaccine is approved only for those above 12 years of age, it should be ensured that children who are above 12 years of age only, are vaccinated i.e. those who are born on or before 15th March 2010. The vaccinator and verifier should ensure that beneficiaries less than 12 years on the date of vaccination are not vaccinated even if he/she is registered on CoWIN."
Bhushan has further directed that vaccinators and vaccination teams need to be trained to ensure that particularly for 12-14 years age group there is no mixing of vaccines.
“The responsibility for verification of age (12 years) will lie with the vaccinator/verifier at the time of vaccination for the first few days as the provision for recording the exact Date of Birth in Co-WIN portal is under process. Once implemented, the system, by default, will not allow registration of beneficiaries who are not of the recommended age," Bhushan said.
CorBEvax vaccine is manufactured by Biological E. Limited. The second dose will be administered at an interval of 28 days.
The government has further said that as the 12-14 years of age group constitutes school-going children, complementary strategies may be formulated to ensure vaccination of all eligible beneficiaries in this age group, irrespective of whether they are enrolled in State/Central government schools, aided/unaided private schools or others formal schools like madrasas etc are covered with strict adherence to the operational guidelines for covid-19 vaccination. Management and reporting of AEFIs will be as per existing guidelines. Anaphylaxis kits must be available with each vaccination teams.
It may be noted that adolescents above 14 years of age (14-18 years) are already receiving Covaxin at government CVCs and private CVCs.
With regard to the precaution dose or booster dose for the population above 60 years of age, the ministry has projected around 13,75,70,000 (13.75 Crore) population in the States/UTs eligible for the precaution dose from Wednesday. The precaution dose (same as the previous two doses) is to be administered after 9 months (36 weeks) after the date of second vaccination.
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