Children aged 15-18 can register for COVID-19 vaccination from January-1
Children aged 15 to 18 years can register for COVID-19 vaccination on the Co-WIN platform from January 1, 2022. Co-WIN chief Dr. RS Sharma confirmed the news. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday announced that children in the said age group could get the COVID-19 vaccine starting January 3. The news comes as COVID-19 cases are rising in several Indian states and cities.
Why does it matter?
Vaccination for children marks a significant step in India's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also reduce the fears of children and their parents as they have to head out for schools and colleges. The decision has come amid growing concerns over the spread of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus which has forced states to impose fresh restrictions.
Children can use student ID cards to register
"Children in the age group of 15-18 years will be able to register on the Co-WIN app from January 1," Dr. Sharma told news agency ANI on Monday. He said that children can use their student ID cards to register for the COVID-19 vaccine. This has been allowed as some of them may not have Aadhaar or other identity cards.
Which vaccines are available for children?
There are currently two COVID-19 vaccines in India that have been cleared for emergency use in children. They are Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN and Zydus Cadila's three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine. Both have been approved for kids aged 12 and above. Several other vaccines including Serum Institute of India's Novavax and Biological E's Corbevax have been cleared for trials on children.
COVID-19 situation in India
India reported over 6,500 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. However, the country saw a massive jump of 37% in its Omicron tally. Cases of the new strain have reached 578, up from 422 on Sunday. So far, 141.7 crore vaccine doses have been administered across India. Separately, the country will start giving out booster doses from January 10 to select groups.
