COVID-19 Vaccines for Children - Apollo Hospitals

Frequently asked questions

Yes, the vaccine helps to prevent or reduce the spread of the COVID-19. While children are unlikely so far to develop serious complications or severe disease due to COVID-19, they may spread the infection to adults who are more prone to develop severe complications or severe disease due to COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccine can protect the child and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection.

The SEC (Subject Expert Committee) recently approved Covaxin, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech for emergency use in children between 2-18 years of age. While the SEC recommended authorizing the vaccine to be used in kids sparking a big relief for parents and educational institutions, there is yet no official confirmation on the likely date.

While Covaxin is the first vaccine officially approved for use in children between 2-18 years of age, other vaccines are also being planned to vaccinate kids in India. Earlier, ZyCov-D, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila, has been considered for use in children aged 12 to 18 years. While the trials are still underway, it may take some time before the vaccine hits the market.

Other vaccine candidates being considered for children include Covovax and Corbevex. Both the vaccines have been given the go-ahead to conduct mid-stage trials on children aged 7-14 years old.

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) refers to a mechanism in which the authorities allow the use of certain medications and vaccines in a life-threatening emergency, such as COVID, after reviewing the clinical trials and laboratory-based data. Covaxin has currently been granted emergency use authorization in India- and not full access. While Covaxin is still undergoing an important last stage study, the necessary EUA was granted based on a risk vs benefit evaluation.