Expert panel approves use of Serum Institute's Covovax for 7-11-year olds

An expert panel advising the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has recommended granting emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Serum Institute of India’s (SII’s) Covovax for use in children aged 7-11, according to sources. 

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will review this recommendation before granting a final approval. 

Sources indicated that the SEC deliberated upon the matter and recommended an EUA for use in younger children. The process of data review was on for the past few months, after SII submitted trial data from their children’s studies around March.

Covovax — the protein vaccine from US major Novovax — already has DCGI nod for use in adults as well as children in the age group of 12-17 years. The government has procured Biological E’s vaccine Corbevax for adolescent vaccination, and has not placed orders for Covovax. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, too, has approval for use for 12-17-year olds. 

The expert panel had recommended use of Corbevax for children as young as five in April, while it had sought more data from Bharat Biotech for kids in the 2-11-year category. 

India started vaccinating adolescents (aged 15-18) from January, and further expanded the drive to include children as young as 12 years from March.