On Monday, the Union Health Ministry issued guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 15 to 18, as well as a precaution dose for healthcare and frontline workers, as well as those aged 60 and older with comorbidities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that vaccination against COVID-19 for children aged 15 to 18 years old will begin on January 3, with a “precaution dose” for healthcare and frontline workers beginning on January 10.
He also stated that the elderly population aged 60 and up with comorbidities will be given a precaution dose on the advice of their doctor beginning January 10 of next year.
The priority and sequencing of the precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months (39 weeks) from the date of administration of the second dose, according to the guidelines.
The government’s notification also said that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin will be the only COVID-19 vaccine available, for now, for children, who will be inoculated from next month.
The guidelines will come into effect from January 3 and will be reviewed from time to time.
“Within the context of the recent global surge of COVID-19 cases, detection of the Omicron variant, which has been classified as a variant of concern, scientific evidence, global practises, and the recommendations of the ‘COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI)’ as well as the ‘Standing Technical Scientific Committee (STSC)’ of NTAGI, it has now been decided to further refine the scientific prioritisation and coverage of COVID
Co-WIN features and provisions for HCWs, FLWs and citizens 60+ with co-morbidities:
- All healthcare and frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years or above with comorbidities will be able to access the vaccination for precaution dose through their existing Co-WIN account.
- Eligibility of such beneficiaries for the precaution dose will be based on the date of administration of second dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system.
- Co-WIN system will send SMS to such beneficiaries for availing the precaution dose when the dose becomes due.
- Registration and appointment services can be accessed through both, the online and the onsite modes.
- The details of the administration of the precaution dose will be suitably reflected in the vaccination certificates.
Co-WIN features and provisions for new beneficiaries aged 15-18 years:
- All those aged 15 years or more will be able to register on Co-WIN. In other words, all those whose birth year is 2007 or before, shall be eligible.
- Beneficiaries can self-register, online through an existing account on Co-WIN or can also register by creating a new account through a unique mobile number, this facility is available for all eligible citizens presently.
- Such beneficiaries can also be registered onsite by the verifier/vaccinator in facilitated registration mode.
- Appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in).
- For such beneficiaries, option for vaccination would only be available for Covaxin as this is the only vaccine with EUL for the age-group 15-17.