A day after India’s drug regulator authorised Covovax for restricted emergency use in kids aged 7 to 11 years, the vaccine maker Serum Institute has written to the Centre looking for its inclusion within the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme within the curiosity of public well being, official sources stated on Wednesday.
In a letter to the Union well being ministry, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) acknowledged that Covovax is very immunogenic with greater than 98 per cent seroconversion in 7 to lower than 12 years age group. Also, the vaccine is protected, efficient and nicely tolerated on this age group, an official supply stated.
According to the letter, the agency can also be receiving requests from numerous sections of the society pan India to make vaccine obtainable in authorities and personal hospitals in view of accelerating COVID-19 infections.
“Even employees of our firm, who have relentlessly worked on this life-saving vaccine, are requesting to us to provide this life-saving vaccine for their children soon,” Singh is learnt to have talked about within the letter.
The approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Wednesday got here after the topic knowledgeable committee on COVID-19 of the CSDCO final week advisable granting emergency use authorisation to Covovax for the age group of seven to 11 years.
”The SEC final week deliberated on the EUA utility of SII and advisable granting emergency use authorisation for Covovax for kids aged 7 to 11 years,” an official supply stated.
The knowledgeable panel in its final assembly in April had sought extra knowledge from the Pune-based agency over the applying.
The DCGI had authorised Covovax for restricted use in emergency conditions in adults on December 28 and within the 12 to 17 years age group topic to sure situations on March 9.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”