India recommends emergency use of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 shot in kids

An expert panel of India's drug regulator on Tuesday recommended vaccine maker Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 shot for emergency use in children aged 2 to 18 years, making it the first vaccine in the country to get approval for use in kids below 12 years.

Bharat Biotech's data from clinical trials for Covaxin in the age group "has been thoroughly reviewed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Subject Expert Committee and (they) have provided their positive recommendations," the vaccine maker told Reuters in a statement. The shot is also the second in the South Asian nation to get approval for use among the under 18 age group, after Zydus Cadila's DNA vaccine, though it is only approved for children aged 12 and above.

India has turned its focus towards vaccinating children against the coronavirus, having already rolled out more than 950 million doses to adults among its population of nearly 1.4 billion.

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