Omicron COVID-19: Covaxin only, walk-ins allowed in vaccine guidelines for children

NEW DELHI: Children in the age group of 15 to 18 years can register for Covid vaccines online on the government’s vaccination portal Co-WIN or walk-in at the centres. They are eligible to get only Covaxin, the only one cleared for emergency use for children.

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The ministry of health and family welfare issued guidelines for vaccination of this new set of beneficiaries on December 28, amid the rising cases of the COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus’ omicron variant, considered a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The new guidelines will be in effect from January 3, 2022.

Considering the surge in COVID-19 cases and detection of a new variant named ‘Omicron’, categorised as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The newly-issued guidelines are as follows:

• Children who are 15 years or older — all those born in 2007 or before — can register on the Co-WIN portal.

• Online Covaxin booking can be done through either an existing Co-WIN account or by making a new account.

• Those eligible can also register on-site. The verifier or vaccinator can do this in facilitated registration mode.

• Only Covaxin will be administered to this age group.

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The Co-WIN platform sends SMS to beneficiaries after the dose. Both registration and appointment can be done in both online and onsite modes.

All government and private vaccination centres were also instructed to facilitate onsite registration facilities. By the morning of December 29, the total number of omicron cases had risen to 781 with Delhi registering the maximum number of cases — 238.