Amid ongoing phase II and III trials of Covaxin for the 2-18 age group, India is expected to have an indigenous Covid-19 vaccine for children by September, according to Priya Abraham, director of the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology (Pune).
“Hopefully, the results (of the trials) are going to be available very soon. The results will be presented to the regulators. So, by September or just after it, we may have Covid-19 vaccines for children,” Abraham said in an interview to India Science, an OTT channel of the science and technology department.
Commenting on the scientific developments on Covid-19, she said the results are going to be available very soon and added the results will be presented to the regulators.
Abraham said Zydus Cadilas vaccine trial is also going on, adding this can also be applied for the children and will be made available.
Emphasizing on getting vaccinated, the ICMR-NIV Director said the Covid vaccines are important to prevent serious forms of disease due to which patients may get hospitalized and even die.
“Yet, the vaccines are still protective against the variants. They may show a little less efficacy, but vaccines are very important to prevent serious forms of disease due to which patients may get hospitalised and even die. So, whatever the variant, vaccine is till now protective against all, including the Delta variant. So, there should not be any hesitancy at all.”
Abraham also informed that there is India will soon also have Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd’s m-RNA vaccine, Biological-E vaccine and Serum Institute of India’s Novovax.
The ICMR-NIV Director also spoke on COVID-19 booster doses and said that studies have been going on overseas and at least seven different vaccines have been tried out for booster dose.