The Union Health Ministry described media reports stating that authorisation for the Covaxin vaccine in the 15-18 age range had been granted despite the WHO not having granted it an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for this age group as “highly ill-informed” and “misleading.”
The guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health at no place mention about EUL by WHO, it said.
Such reports are highly ill-informed, misleading and far from the truth, it said in a statement. The guidelines issued by the Ministry on December 27, 2021, under the heading New beneficiaries aged 15-18 years state that “For such beneficiaries, option for vaccination would only be available for Covaxin as this is the only vaccine with EUL for the age-group 15-18”, it said in a statement.
The EUL by CDSCO, the national regulator, for Covaxin vaccine for age group 12-18 age group was accorded on December 24, 2021. Subsequently, the guidelines for vaccination of 15-18 yr age group of young adults and precaution dose for other identified categories was issued by it on December 27, the ministry added.
