Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya stated today, on July 27, that COVID19 vaccination for children in India is ‘likely’ to begin from next month i.e. August. The newly appointed minister was quoted as saying so in a BJP parliamentary party meeting.

Mandaviya also stated that India shall soon become the largest vaccine producing country as more companies shall be granted production licences.

The health minister’s remarks come a month after Centre informed the Delhi High Court that COVID19 vaccines may soon be available for children between 12 and 18 years of age.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma had informed a division bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that Zydus Cadila, which is developing the COVID19 DNA vaccines, has concluded its trials for the 12-18 age group. Sharma further informed that subject to statutory provisions, the vaccine may be available in the near future.

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Also, national task force member Randeep Guleria had stated on July 25 that the vaccines for children would be available in a ‘few weeks’ or by September.

“In the coming few weeks or by September, vaccines should be available for children,” Guleria was quoted as saying.

“We should then start schools in a graded manner as we have been doing for 18-45 years age and that also will give more protection to the kids and more confidence to the public that children are safe,” he added.

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Guleria however had clarified that it will all depend on what the data findings show and approval from the country’s apex drug regulator. “It all depends on regulatory approvals and data from trials. Unclear exactly when it will start,” Guleria had said.

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