Indian Council of Medical Research and Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN will kick-start phase II/III trials on
children aged 2 to 18 years, NITI Aayog’s Dr. VK Paul said on Tuesday, adding that the process will commence in another 10 to 12 days.
“The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) has given approval for Phase II/III trials in the age group of 12-18 years,” he said during a press briefing. The announcement comes a few days after multiple countries approved the vaccination of adolescents, particularly those aged 12-15 in USA and Canada.
The trial will be conducted at 21 institutions across the country on 525 healthy volunteers. Children will be given two intramuscular shots in two doses at an interval of 28 days.
The Health Committee member also discussed the spread of Covid-19 among children and teenagers and stressed that while they don’t show severe symptoms, one must assure they follow all precautions acutely. “We have data that proves that SARS-COV2 follows a similar pattern of infection among children, as it does among children. However, the latter is found to be asymptomatic most of the time. The pattern of spreading virus also reflects a match,” he said.
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An ICMR sero survey in February had noted that presence of antibodies among children aged 10-17 years was 25.3 per cent. “A separate survey had noted that children aged below 10 years had seropositivity similar to adults, about 20-23 per cent. This certifies that spread of the virus among children is the same, and so we must encourage them to wear masks and follow social distancing,” Dr. Paul added.
On Sunday, government officials in Singapore announced the emergence of a new variant of SARS-COV2, which, they said, might belay harm to children. As a result, the country has decided to shut down schools, resume a home-based method of teaching, and also impose a lockdown. Mr. Paul added that all reports about the new variant are being examined, and special research on children related Covid variants are being conducted. He added, “While the current variants in India are not affecting children, with severe symptoms being uncommon, we must keep in mind that the virus can evolve to affect them more severely.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Tuesday, also expressed concern over the new ‘Singapore variant’. “This variant may result into India’s third wave, and so all flights from Singapore must be suspended,” the Aam Aadmi Party chief said.
Decline in Cases
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Luv Agarwal, said that India is witnessing a decreasing trend of the virus. In a comparatively positive day for the country, national recoveries from Covid-19 peaked on Tuesday, with over 4 lakh citizens recovering from the virus in the last 24 hours. This was coupled with the fact that active cases in the country also reduced by over 1 lakh.
India recorded 4,22,436 recoveries from Covid-19, the highest yet, while the number of fresh infections registered came down to 2,63,533. The officials added that 199 districts in the country are showing a decline in Covid-19 cases and positivity since the last two weeks.