Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 4 (ANI): Biological E. Limited, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical and vaccines company, on Saturday, announced that its Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) as a heterologous COVID-19 booster dose for individuals aged 18 years and above after six months of administration of primary vaccination (two doses) of Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for restricted use in an emergency situation.

New York [US], May 13 (ANI): As the Russia-Ukraine crisis continues to prolong, India on Friday said that it attaches high importance to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) as a key global and non-discriminatory disarmament Convention.

New Delhi [India], May 10 (ANI): Over three crore children in the age group of 12-14 years have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

New Delhi Apr 26 PTI Indias drug regulator has granted restricted emergency use authorisation for Biological Es COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for those aged five to 12 years and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin for children in the age group of six to 12 years Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on TuesdayThe approval by the Drugs Controller General of India DCGI for Corbevax and Covaxin for inoculating children below 12 years paves the way for giving protection to a majority of school going children and assumes significance ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with chief ministers on the emerging COVID-19 situation in the country on Wednesday through video conferencingThe DCGI has also granted emergency use authorisation EUA to Cadila for its ZyCoV-D for an additional dose of 3mg with a two-jab inoculation schedule 28 days apart for those aged above 12 yearsZyCoV-D is currently approved for a 2mg three-dose vaccination scheduleThe DCGI approval comes following recommendations by the Subject Expert Committee SEC on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control OrganisationCDSCOThe SEC had last week reviewed the application of Biological E and Bharat Biotech seeking emergency use authorisation for Corbevax and Covaxin for use in children of five to 12 years and six to 12 years age group respectively It also reviewed Cadilas applicationBiological Es Corbevax is being used to inoculate children against COVID-19 in the age group of 12 to 14 years Covaxin has been granted Emergency Use Listing EUL by the DCGI for the age group of 12 to 18 years on December 24 2021India began inoculating children aged 12-14 years on March 16 So far more than 270 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccineThe countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last yearThe next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditionsIndia launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last yearThe next phase of vaccination commenced on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 yearsIndia began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10Precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years were allowed at private vaccination centres from April 10 The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 18795 crore PTI PLB SRY

New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked Bharat Biotech for additional data on its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, for administering it to children aged between 2-12 years, sources said.

New Delhi Apr 21 PTI An expert panel of Indias central drug authority has recommended granting emergency use authorisation for Biological Es COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for children in the five to 11 years age group official sources said on ThursdayThe Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the CDSCO has however sought more data from Bharat Biotech to review its emergency use authorisation EUA application for use of Covaxin among those aged between two and 11 years they saidThe Drugs Controller General of India DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28 last year and in the 12 to 17 years age group subject to certain conditions on March 9 this yearBiological Es Corbevax is being used to inoculate children against COVID-19 in the age group of 12 to 14 years Covaxin has been granted Emergency Use Listing EUL by the DCGI for the age group of 12to 18 years on December 24 2021The Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the CDSCO which deliberated on Biological EsEUA application has recommended granting emergency use authorisation for use of Corbevax in the age group of five to 11 years a source saidIndia began inoculating children aged 12-14 on March 16 The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last yearThe next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditionsIndia launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last yearThe next phase of vaccination commenced on January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 yearsIndia began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 Precaution does of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years was allowed at private vaccination centres from April 10 PTI PLB NSD NSD

New Delhi [India], March 25 (ANI): Over one crore children in the age group of 12-14 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed on Friday.

New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday informed that over 50 lakh beneficiaries aged between 12-14 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

New York [US], March 11 (ANI): India on Friday (lcoal time) said that it is important to ensure full and effective implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in letter and spirit after the report emerges of biological activities relating to Ukraine.

New Delhi Feb 21 PTI The Drugs Controller General of India has granted restricted emergency use authorisation EUA to Biological Es COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group subject to certain conditions official sources said on MondayHowever the government has not taken a decision yet on vaccinating those aged below 15 yearsThe health ministry recently had said additional need for vaccination and inclusion of population for vaccination is examined constantlyThe DCGIs approval comes after the Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 of the CDSCO on February 14 recommended granting restricted EUA to Corbevax for the 12 to 18 years age group after deliberating on Biological Es applicationThe Drugs Controller General of India DCGI had approved Corbevax which is Indias first indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19 for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28It has not been included in the countrys vaccination drive The DCGI on Monday granted restricted EUA to Corbevax for the 12 to less than 18 years age group subject to certain conditions an official source saidIn an application sent to the DCGI on February 9 Srinivas Kosaraju the head of quality and regulatory affairs at Biological E Limited had said the firm had received approval for conducting phase 23 clinical study of Corbevax among children and adolescents aged 5-18 years in SeptemberBased on the no-objection certificate Biological E has initiated the clinical study in October 2021 and has evaluated the available safety and immunogenicity results of the ongoing phase 23 study which indicated that the vaccine is safe and immunogenicThe proposed application is for obtaining permission for restricted use in an emergency situation in adolescents aged 12 to less than 18 years based on interim results of the ongoing phase 23 clinical study considering the current pandemic and widespread of COVID-19 vaccine in India Kosaraju had said in the applicationThe Corbevax vaccine is administered through the intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at two to eight degrees Celsius temperatures and presented as 05 ml single dose and 5 ml 10 doses vial packAccording to the health ministry the company has conducted phase 12 and 23 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the countryFurther it has conducted a phase 3 active comparator clinical trial to evaluate superiority against Covishield vaccine it said PTI PLB ANB ANB