![]() PM Modi Announces Booster Doses And Jabs For Kids Even As DCGI Approves Covaxin For 15-18 Age Group!A Story by Chinmay Chakravarty![]() A news story updating the Omicron-led situation, in relation to India.![]()
PM Modi has also presented a positive scenario with the logistics of
preparation across the country. He hailed India’s vaccination drive started on
January 16, 2021 which has now covered 61% of the population with double
vaccine jabs and 91% of the population having at least one jab. The Prime Minister informed the nation that at
the moment the country has 1.8 million isolation beds, 0.5 million oxygen
supported beds, 1,40,000 ICU beds, 90,00 ICU and non-ICU beds specially for the
children, more than 3 thousand PSA or Pressure Swing Adsorption oxygen plants, 0.4
million oxygen cylinders and more support to the states is being ensured
for buffer stocks of vaccines and facilities for testing. While praising the
efforts of the medical doctors, scientists and experts Modi said that India’s
pandemic fight has been based on scientific principles, active consultations
and methods throughout the period. There is some uncertainty about which of the
two main vaccines being administered in India, "Covishield and Covaxin, would be
used for the booster doses. It is being speculated, with some medical logic
behind it, that the doubly-vaccinated with Covishield would get Covaxin as the
booster dose and the doubly-vaccinated with Covaxin would get Covishield jab as
the booster dose. The priority of fully vaccinating about 40% of the Indian
population who have either got one dose and not vaccinated at all, remains
still. To make it happen as soon as possible experts across different fields
and state governments have been asking the Government of India to reduce the
gap of 12-16 weeks to a month for Covishield jabs. The gap between Covaxin jabs
is 28 days, but Bharat Biotech has not been able to manufacture and supply
enough doses in comparison to Covishield. It is also to be noted that Bharat Biotech’s
Covaxin for children of the 2-18 age group had been approved on October 12 this
year by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Drug Controller General of
India (DCGI) and since then the regulatory body’s final seal has been awaited.
It has been reported that, to make very sure of the safety issues, the DCGI had
appointed another SEC to go through all aspects and finally approved the
vaccine yesterday; but only for the 15-18 age group which is a disappointment.
The delay has been more frustrating considering the fact that world’s first
DNA-based 3-dose non-injectable vaccine for children above 12 years of age
Zydus Cadila’s Zycov-D, was approved by the DCGI as far back as in August this
year. Anyway, better late than never, and we hope for the best now. Many
experts have commented about children having strong immunity against severe
disease after infection; but our concern has always been that children may take
the virus home where elders also live. There is also the issue of the efficacy of the
existing vaccines and even the booster doses against Omicron and even the World
Health Organization (WHO) is not able to make up its mind yet to suggest or to
not suggest the booster doses even as many countries have already gone ahead
with that. However, it is more or less accepted that even though the vaccines
and the booster doses may not be very effective in preventing COVID-19 and Omicron
infections or re-infections the full doses can certainly reduce the severe type
of the disease, thus reducing hospitalization and deaths. We further hope that
the PM’s steps and the level of preparedness is not used as a justification for
going ahead with the assembly elections in 5 states. © 2021 Chinmay ChakravartyAuthor's Note
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1 Review Added on December 26, 2021 Last Updated on December 26, 2021 Tags: PM Modi, India, Omicron, Pandemic response, COVID-19 Vaccines. Booster Dose, Vaccines for Kids Author![]() Chinmay ChakravartyMumbai, Western , IndiaAboutHailing from a writers’ family in Assam, Chinmay Chakravarty has been writing since his school days. A post-graduate from the Delhi School of Economics, he started his career as a freelance jour.. more..Writing
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