India likely to have Covid-19 vaccine for children by Sept-Oct: AIIMS Director

New Delhi, June 23: AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that the trial run of the coronavirus vaccine for children is underway in India. If the results are in favour, then vaccination of children might start from September-October.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Dr Guleria said that Bharat Biotech and other companies are doing trials at a very fast pace and hoped that data will lead to approvals so that there is a vaccine for children in the country by September-October.

"Children usually have the mild disease but we need to develop vaccines for children because if we have to control this pandemic everyone should be vaccinated. Bharat Biotech and other companies are doing trials at a very fast pace as parents have come forward with their children for the trials," he said.

"One is hopeful that trial will be completed early & possibly with follow up of about 2-3 months we shall have data by September. Hopefully, by that time, approvals will be there so that by September-October we'll have vaccines from our country which we can give to children," Guleria said.

Dr Guleria said Bharat Biotech is conducting trials between the age group of 2 to 18 years and "this covers a wide spectrum".

"Already Pfizer has got FDA approval for children and that has also been permission to come to our country. Bharat Biotech and other companies are doing trials at a very fast pace as parents have come forward with their children for the trials," the AIIMS top doctor said.

Studies earlier this month showed that two Covid -19 vaccines - one developed by Moderna and another an experimental protein-based jab - were effective against Covid-19 in children.