Covid: Expert panel recommends emergency use approval for Covaxin in 2 to 18 age group

Subject Expert Committee has given a recommendation to the Drugs Controller General of India for the use of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin for the beneficiaries aged between 2-18 years, the official sources said.

New Delhi: An expert panel of India's Central Drug Authority has recommended granting emergency use authorisation to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for children in the 2 to 18 years age group with certain conditions, sources said on Tuesday. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which completed the phase 2/3 trials of Covid vaccine Covaxin for use in children aged between 2 and 18 years, had submitted the data to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its verification and subsequent approval for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the jab in the beginning of this month.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 examined the data and deliberated on the EUA application on Monday. "After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended grant of market authorisation of the vaccine for the age group of 2 to 18 years for restricted use in emergency situations subject to the certain conditions," a source quoted SEC as having stated in its recommendations. The recommendations have been forwarded to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval.

PTI