To adequately safeguard this generation, the government would need to prepare for enough vaccinations to cover 104 million youngsters, according to the 80 percent coverage method, and has thus laid out plans for carrying out vaccination.
According to sources, the government’s approach to offering up Covid-19 vaccines to youngsters has a goal of gradually covering 80 percent of the 130 million individuals aged 12 to 18 years.
As a result, the government would need to get at least 210 million doses of a two-dose vaccination.
In the European Union, Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine has been studied and authorized for use in youth ages 12 to 15. According to a senior government source, the intention is to leverage India’s homegrown ability to manufacture Covaxin, which is still being tested in youngsters.
This is because, even if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is used exclusively for children, the estimated supply would suffer as a result of the demand, according to the official.
According to the person, who has been deeply engaged in India’s immunization efforts, there’s also some ambiguity about when Pfizer’s vaccinations would arrive in the nation.
Bharat Biotech, on the other hand, is projected to be able to handle larger orders, and per the official. The vaccine company from Hyderabad has been given the authorization to test its vaccine, Covaxin, on children aged 2 to 18. If the testing is effective, the vaccine will be able to reach a far larger population.
To adequately safeguard this generation, the government would need to prepare for enough vaccinations to cover 104 million youngsters, according to the 80 percent coverage method. As a result, the exercise would need at least 208 million doses of a two-dose vaccination. The immunization needed would be significantly higher in the event of a three-dose vaccination.
“Right now, we’re still talking” (with Pfizer). At this moment, there is nothing certain… It also depends on when the vaccine comes and what our priorities are at the time,” the official said on condition of anonymity to the present media.
The person stated, “What we are getting from them (Pfizer) is five crores (50 million) doses,” adding that the number of minors aged 12 to 18 is believed to be “far greater.”
“If we have to vaccinate (those aged 12 to 18), we must have a strategy in place for at least 80% of them. As a result, this (Pfizer’s quantity) will not suffice,” the official stated.
“…By that time, if we have our own Covaxin qualifying (for use in children), it will be much better,” the speaker continued.
NITI Aayog Member—Health Dr. Vinod K Paul said India has roughly 130 million children in this age range during a news briefing by the Health Ministry on June 4. According to Paul, who also leads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19, immunizations like Zydus Cadila’s ZyCov-D might provide a percentage of the vaccinations necessary for immunizing infants (NEGVAC).
When the Ahmedabad-based business seeks license for ZyCov-D, he said during the briefing that the Centre hopes to have “adequate evidence” on whether it can be administered to youngsters. Zydus may approach the Indian regulator with its application “hopefully” next week, according to the timeframe he provided.
According to internal calculations, the Centre expects Covaxin supplies to climb to 75 million doses per month by July. By October, the vaccine’s availability should have increased to 122 million doses, and by December, it should have increased to 155 million doses.
Based on this data, the Centre anticipates receiving 626 million doses of Covaxin between July and December, as well as 47 million doses of ZyCov-D between September and December.
