COVID Vaccine Guidelines: Covaxin for Children, 9 Months Difference in Precautionary Dosing check pointers

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Monday issued guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination for children between 15-18 years, precautionary dosage for health care and frontline workers and 60+ population with comorbidities.

According to the statement of the ministry, keeping in view the recent global surge of COVID-19 cases, the ‘National Technical Advisory Group of Immunization (NTAGI)’ as well as the ‘Standing Technical Scientific Committee (STSC)’ for COVID-19 Working Group. NTAGI has mentioned the following points:

  • The COVID-19 vaccination of children in the age group of 15-18 years will be started from January 3, 2022. For such beneficiaries, the vaccination option would be simply “Covaxin”.
  • As a massive precaution, those Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs) who have received two doses will be provided with one more dose of COVID-19 vaccine from January 10, 2022. This precautionary dose will be based on completion of 9 months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of second dose.
  • All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities, who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, will be provided a precautionary dose from January 10, 2022, on the advice of a doctor. Prioritization and sequencing of this precautionary dose will be based on completion. 9 months i.e. up to 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.

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Co-Win Features and Provisions:

– HCW, FLW and Citizen 60+ with co-morbidities:

  • All HCWs, FLWs and citizens aged 60 years or more will be able to access vaccination for the precautionary dose through their existing Co-Win account.
  • The eligibility of such beneficiaries for the precautionary dose will be based on the date of administration of the second dose entered in the co-win system.
  • The Co-Win system will send SMS to such beneficiaries to take precautionary doses when the dose is due.
  • The registration and appointment services can be accessed both online and onsite.
  • The details of the administration of the precautionary dose shall be suitably reflected in the vaccination certificate.

– New beneficiaries in the age group of 15-18 years:

  • Everyone who is 15 years of age and above will be able to register on Co-WIN. In other worlds, all those whose birth year is 2007 or earlier will be eligible.
  • Beneficiaries can self-register online through existing account on Co-Win or can also register by creating a new account through a unique mobile number, a facility currently available to all eligible citizens.
  • Such beneficiaries can also be registered onsite by the verifier/vaccinator in the facility registration mode.
  • Appointment can be booked online or onsite (walk-in).
  • For such beneficiaries, the vaccination option will be available only for Covaxin as it is the only vaccine with EUL for the age group of 15-17.

The Union Health Ministry said that these guidelines will come into effect from January 3, 2022 and will be reviewed from time to time.

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