COVID-19 | Centre releases guidelines for vaccination of children aged 12-14 years

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The Centre March 15 released guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 12 to 14 years, which is set to begin from March 16. As per the Centre’s guidelines, only Biological E’s Corbevax coronavirus vaccine will be administered to the beneficiaries in this age group.

Two doses of the intramuscular vaccine would be administered to kids aged 12 to 14 years at an interval of 28 days. As of March 1, 2021, there are 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 years in India.

As per the guidelines, all beneficiaries born in 2010 or earlier (those who have turned 12 years of age) will now be eligible for registering on CoWIN. “The vaccination slots will be booked for 12-14 years age group for CorBEvax only through Co-WIN.

The vaccinator has to ensure that the vaccine is administered to only those children who have completed the age of 12 years on the date of vaccination and if a child is registered but has not attained the age of 12 years, the vaccination is not to be given," the guidelines added.

Beneficiaries can either self-register through an existing account on the Co-WIN of a family member or by creating a new account through a unique mobile number.

That apart, onsite registration will also be allowed by the vaccinator in facilitated registration mode and appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in) for beneficiaries aged 12-14 years.

Vaccination of 12–14-year-olds will be done at dedicated inoculation sessions that have been earmarked for that age group.

The Centre in its latest guidelines stated that precaution dose or booster dose will now be administered to all persons aged 60 years and above and that beneficiaries will be prioritised sequenced on the basis of the completion of nine months or 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.

The Government further said that booster dose must be of the same vaccine that was used during the primary vaccination.