India Starts Vaccinating 12-14 Age Group, Boosters For All Above 60

India is starting to vaccinate people under the age of 12-14, boosters for everyone over the age of 60.

As India expands its Covid-19 vaccine coverage, it has started vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 14 from today.

The precautionary dose for everyone over the age of 60 eliminates the co-morbid rule, starting today.

The COVID-19 vaccine to be given to 12-14-year-olds is Corbevax, manufactured by Biological Evans in Hyderabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter this morning to urge all those eligible to be vaccinated.

Today is an important day in India’s efforts to vaccinate our citizens. Now onwards, youngsters in the 12-14 age group are eligible for vaccines and all those above 60 are eligible for precaution doses. I urge people in these age groups to get vaccinated.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 16, 2022

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had earlier said that only the Carbevox vaccine would be used for beneficiaries between the ages of 12 and 14.

Corbevax became the third vaccine against COVID-19 in India, available in all centers from today.

The Center has issued guidelines for vaccinating COVID-19 in children aged 12-14 years. It said two doses of Biological E's intramuscular vaccine Corbevax would be injected at 28-day intervals.

According to the guidelines, as of March 1, 2021, there were 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 in the country. According to the guidelines, all beneficiaries born in 2010 or earlier - already under the age of 12 - can register with CoWIN.

For those over 60, the guidelines say that a precautionary measure can now be given nine months to 39 weeks after the second dose is given. The guidelines also state that the precautionary dose of the vaccine should be the same as that of the primary vaccine.

#𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝟏𝟗 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

➡️ Govt to expand COVID19 Vaccination for 12-13 yrs & 13-14 yrs age groups from 16th March, 2022.

➡️ All above 60 years now eligible for Precaution Dose from 16th March, 2022 onwards. https://t.co/RlwMYIzfRm pic.twitter.com/r65S3yPm4t

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 14, 2022

How to Register

You can register through the following methods - self-registration with an existing family member's Co-WIN account or creating a new account with a unique mobile number, the guidelines said.

Vaccination can be done by registering easily through online or onsite for 12-14 years.

Vaccines under the age of 12-14 will be conducted through specialized vaccination sessions - this is reserved for those under the age of 12-14 at the COVID-19 Vaccine Centers - with any other COVID-19 vaccines to avoid their unplanned vaccinations.

Precautions for Children

According to UNICEF, children can develop mild symptoms such as headaches, body aches, fatigue, fever, and runny nose and clear up within two days of being vaccinated.

UNICEF urges children to avoid vaccinating on an empty stomach and to wait at least 30 minutes at the vaccination center after vaccination to monitor reactions. Children with a known history of allergic reactions to the ingredients of the vaccine should consult a physician before being vaccinated.