COVID-19 vaccination for children below 15 years will begin after experts' nod, says Centre

New Delhi: With the reopening of schools raising concern over the safety of children below 15 years of age, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said in the Rajya Sabha that the government will take a decision to vaccinate this group based on suggestions of an expert group.

The government has constituted an expert group to give suggestions on which age group to be given COVID-19 vaccine first and accordingly vaccination for the 15-18 age group is underway, he said during the Question Hour.“About 67 per cent in the age group of 15-18 years have been vaccinated so far. The vaccination drive is being implemented in a speedy manner. The future decision (to vaccinate those below 15 year age) will be taken based on the expert group’s suggestion,” Mandaviya said.

The expert group meets regularly and gives suggestions based on which the government takes action, he added.

The minister was responding to a query by BJP member Syed Zafar Islam on the level of threat of Omicron variant of coronavirus on children amid reopening of schools and with those below 15 years of age not being vaccinated.

Responding to another query by BJP member TG Venkatesh on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine, the minister said, “I am happy to share that not only India’s ICMR but global scientific institutes have said vaccination will help reduce mortality rate and hospitalisation rate. This has successfully reduced.”

In India, 97.5 per cent of eligible beneficiaries have got the first dose of vaccination and 77 per cent of them have received the second dose, he said.

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