India News | Decision on Covid Vaccination for Children Below 15 Years as Per NTAGI's Recommendations: Govt

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Any decision on expanding the list of eligible beneficiaries for the administration of the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination of children below 15 years will be in accordance with the recommendations of the NTAGI on the basis of a review of the available scientific evidence, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said inoculation against the viral disease of children in the 15-18 age group has begun from January 3 across the country, including in villages and remote areas.

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As on February 1, of the estimated population of about 7.4 crore beneficiaries aged 15-18 years, around 4.66 crore (63 per cent) had received the first dose and 3.59 lakh (0.5 per cent) had received the second dose of the vaccines.

Two Covid vaccines have received approval for a "restricted use in emergency situation" in the country to inoculate people aged 12 years and above -- Covaxin by Bharat Biotech International Limited and ZyCoV-D by Zydus Cadila.

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The administration of the precaution dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and people aged 60 years and above has started from January 10.

"Any decision on extension of eligible beneficiaries for precaution dose and vaccination of children below 15 years of age is as per the recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) on the basis of review of available scientific evidence," Pawar said in her reply.

A regular review of the COVID-19 vaccination drive is carried out at the national, state and district levels to identify various challenges and devise corrective measures, she added.

The Union health ministry is keeping a close watch over the evolving Covid scenario in the country and has been in regular interaction with the states and Union territories, the minister said.

It has coordinated with and supported the states to upgrade and strengthen their health infrastructure and the requisite logistics to manage the pandemic, she said, adding that various initiatives have been taken by the Centre to provide technical guidance and ensure a clinical management of the pandemic and availability of essential logistics, including drugs and medical oxygen supply.

As reported by the states and Union territories, as on February 1, a total of 5,18,005 oxygen-supported isolation beds and 64,737 ventilators were earmarked for the treatment of the viral disease, Pawar informed the Lok Sabha.

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is the dominant variant in the country presently, she pointed out.

A total of 2,50,982 Covid cases and 12,100 deaths due to the disease were reported in the country in December 2021, the minister said, adding that in January, 64,63,636 cases and 13,970 deaths were recorded.

An advisory was issued to all the states for vaccination at the place of residence of such persons who might be bed-ridden or have extremely restricted mobility or disability or special needs that may hamper their accessibility even to the near-to-home Covid vaccination centres (NHCVCs), she said.

In addition, the Har Ghar Dastak vaccination campaign was initiated from November 3, 2021, wherein those who missed the first dose of the vaccines and those due for the second dose are identified and inoculated through a house-to-house activity, the minister said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)