New Delhi India January 6 ANI In view of the rising COVID cases, the Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that it has decided to refine the scientific prioritisation and coverage of COVID 19 vaccination, including that for children aged 15 -- 18 years and the precaution dose.
In an affidavit filed by Centre's Standing Counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, the Central government informed the Delhi High Court that despite the recent surge of COVID 19 cases, detection of Omicron variant has been classified as a variant of Concern VOC scientific evidence, global practices and the inputs of the 'Standing Technical Scientific Committee STSC of NTAGI as well as the scientific prioritisation and coverage of COVID 19 vaccination.
COVID 19 vaccine for children in the age of 15 -- 18 years to be started.
The vaccination option for such beneficiaries would only be Covaxin, according to the affidavit.
As a matter of abundant precautions, a dose of COVID 19 vaccine would be provided for Health Care Workers HCWS and Front Line Workers FLWS who received two doses. The affidavit further reads that the precaution dose would be prioritisation and sequencing based on the completion of nine months, i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.
The Centre said that all persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities who have received two doses of COVID- 19 vaccine will be given a precaution from January 10, 2022, and will be provided with a precaution from January 10, 2022. The prioritization and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months i.e. The second dose was administered 39 weeks from the date of the second dose. It said that all citizens, regardless of their income status, are entitled to free COVID 19 vaccination at government vaccination centres, and those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospitals' vaccination centres.
The affidavit was filed in the ongoing matter relating to the COVID-19 crisis.