NTAGI APPROVES SERUM INSTITUTE’S COVOVAX VACCINE FOR 12 TO 17 AGE GROUP

(The Quiver): The COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) has approved the inclusion of the Serum Institute’s Covovax in the national vaccination programme for those aged 12 years and above, news agency ANI reported quoting sources on Friday. Covovax is manufactured by technology transfer from Novavax.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s Subject Expert Committee had approved the Serum Institute of India’s Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28. On March 9, it recommended granting the Emergency Use Authorisation for Covovax for the 12-17 age group.

Novavax has earlier said its vaccine was 80 per cent effective against Covid-19 in a late-stage trial testing the shot in 2,247 teens aged 12 to 17 years.

The company has said that Covovax produced an immune response in the same age group in a mid- to a late-stage study involving 460 Indian adolescents.India began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16. Biological E’s Corbevax is being used to inoculate them.