AIIMS Delhi to screen children for COVID vaccine trials from tomorrow
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Expecting a COVID third wave, The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi, will start screening for the clinical trials of the homegrown anti-Covid vaccine, Covaxin, on children from Monday, reports NDTV report quoting sources.
The centre gave its clearance to the clinical trials on children on May 13.
According to experts, children could be the prime target in a possible third wave in the country. This can bring as much devastation as the second wave of the pandemic if enough people are not vaccinated against the virus.
However, the vaccines available in India - Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V - have not been approved for use on children.
Dr VK Paul, a senior NITI Aayog member, had said last month that the phase 2/3 trials will be conducted on children aged between two and 18.
Earlier, AIIMS Patna had started the trials on children some days before.
Though United States, Canada and China have authorised use of vaccine in some age groups of children, most countries, however, are not inoculating children against the virus.
The second wave of the pandemic has been killing hundreds of people daily since it hit the country in March.
The health infrastructure had got severely strained in April because of an unprecedented burden of patients. A large number of Covid patients died due to the lack of hospital beds and medical oxygen.