In what may be good news for children and parents alike, the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has reportedly informed Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday that the Covid-19 vaccine for children is likely to become available by August.
Mandaviya was speaking at the Parliamentary meeting held by the BJP amid the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
The reports arise days after national taskforce member Dr Randeep Guleria said that Covid-19 vaccines for children will become available by September.
Companies like Zydus Cadila have included child data in their emergency use authorisation application while the homegrown Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has is about to finish its trials with children.
Last week, the United Kingdom government allowed the use of Covid-19 vaccines for children over the age of 12 who are at higher risk of getting ill if they catch the virus.
In India however, the Delhi High Court has earlier this month warned that it would be a “disaster” if Covid-19 vaccines are administered, especially to children, without clinical trials and asked the Centre that it should take steps to quickly vaccinate kids of below 18 years of age once the trials are over as the whole nation is waiting for it.
The Parliamentary BJP meeting also saw debate and discussion regarding a host of issues such as Pegasus snoop list, recurrent Opposition disruptions in Parliament and the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.
Addressing the issue of continuous disruptions by opposition leaders since the start of the Monsoon Session earlier this month, PM Modi said that the government was ready to discuss matters but that the opposition was not ready to do so. He further asked the MPs to "expose the opposition parties" that are indulging in disruptions since the government was ready for a discussion but they were not, sources said.
