After the subject expert committee (SEC) approved Covaxin for emergency use on children aged 2 to 18, worried parents can now heave a sigh of relief. There is now one other vaccine option to choose from besides the already-approved Zydus Cadila that will become a part of the national Covid-19 vaccination drive.
Experts said vaccination for children against Covid-19 was more necessary than ever as schools have reopened in many states. Others, too, are deliberating reopening schools when the festival season ends. There has been a gradual rise in paediatric cases of those aged below 10.
Highly-affected Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha and Delhi have reported coronavirus cases in children in the last month. In Kerala, which has been contributing to the bulk of the total caseload in the country over the past month or so, Covid antibodies have been found in at least 40 per cent children, as per a sero survey conducted by the state government. Maharashtra and Delhi have also reported 50 to 75 per cent antibodies in children.
