New Delhi: The COVID-19 Working Group of the NTAGI has recommended inclusion of the Serum Institute's Covovax in the national vaccination programme for those aged 12 years and above, official sources said on Sunday. India's drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28 and in the 12-17 age group, subject to certain conditions, on March 9.
The COVID-19 Working Group has now recommended to the Standing Technical Sub-Committee of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) that Covovax be included in the national vaccination programme for those aged 12 years and above, sources said. Serum Institute of India (SII) Director for Government and Regulatory Affairs Prakash Kumar Singh had written to the Union Health Ministry recently, requesting for Covovax's inclusion in the immunisation drive.
"A meeting of the COVID-19 Working Group of the NTAGI took place on April 1 during which data of Covovax was reviewed, after which it recommended that the vaccine can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above," one of the sources said. Singh had stated that the Pune-based firm wanted to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and was waiting for directions to supply it to the Centre. However, the price of the vaccine for the government was not mentioned.