Zydus Vaccine For 12-18 Year-Olds From September, Says Expert Panel Chief

The focus on vaccinating children has been increasing in view of a threat perception for them in the third wave of Covid.

Vaccination for children will start by September with the Zydus vaccine for 12 to 18-year-olds, Dr NK Arora, who heads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, has told NDTV in an exclusive interview. The emergency use authorisation for the Zydus vaccine will come within weeks, he added. This, he said, will be followed up with Covaxin. "Covaxin phase 3 trials have started and by the end of September, I think we should be there (begin vaccination). I think sometime in the third quarter or by early January-February we should be able to give it to 2 to 18-year-olds," he said. But trial data for Zydus Cadila for 12 to 18-year-olds will be available even before that.