Only Covaxin for children aged 15-18 years, 39-week gap for precaution doses: Govt

New Delhi, Dec 27: Union Health Ministry on Monday issued guidelines for COVID19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years, precaution dose to health care and frontline workers, and 60+ population with comorbidities.

For those Healthcare workers and frontline workers, who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from 10th Jan. The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months from the date of administration of 2nd dose," reads the guidelines.

Keeping in view the recent global surge of COVID-19 cases, detection of Omicron variant which has been categorized as a Variant of Concern (VOC), scientific evidence, global practices and the inputs/suggestions of 'COVID-19 Working Group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI)' as well as of 'Standing Technical Scientific Committee (STSC)' of NTAGI it has now been decided to further refine the scientific prioritization & coverage of COVID-19 vaccination as follows:

• COVID-19 Vaccination of children in the age-group of 15-18 years to be started from 3rd January 2022. For such beneficiaries, vaccination option would be "Covaxin" only.
• As a matter of abundant precaution, for those Health Care Workers (HCWs) Front Line Workers (FLWs) who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from 10th January 2022.
• The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose.
• All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, will on Doctor's advice be provided with a 4 precaution dose from 10th January 2022.
• The prioritization and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of second dose.
• All citizens irrespective of their income status are entitled to free COVID-19 vaccination at Government vaccination Centres.
• Those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use Private Hospitals' Vaccination Centres.