Covaxin For Kids? Bharat Biotech has reportedly completed the Phase II/III trials of Covaxin on children in the age group of 2-18 years. It is the company that has developed Covaxin, the leading vaccine of Indian origin and is set to submit the data on these trials to the Drugs Controller General Of India (DCGI) soon.
Along with this announcement, the company’s Chairman and managing director, Krishna Ella also stated on Tuesday, that trials in Phase II/III are completed. They will be sending the results to the DCGI by next week. She added that it was the exact same product as administered to the adults.
This statement was made on the sidelines of “Vanijya Saptah”. This was organised by the department of Union ministry of commerce & industry, directorate general of foreign trade, the government of Telangana and Pharmexcil. They were commemorating 75 years of Indian independence, showcasing the strength of India as an economic force and reinvigorating exports of Telangana.
Covaxin, similar to Covishield, is administered as a two-dose vaccine. It has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). According to the TOI report, as a part of Phase II and III trials, it was administered to 525 children, 28 days apart. Bharat Biotech had received the drug regulator’s approval to conduct the trials on children in May of this year.
In an earlier statement, Krishna Ella had said that if all goes well, the vaccine could be cleared for administration to children by October this year. Meanwhile, India has reportedly crossed the 80 crore mark in the number of doses administered. The government is aiming to vaccinate the entire population by the end of this year.
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