New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) in a meeting held on Friday recommended Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for India's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, sources told ANI on Tuesday.

New Delhi Oct 25 PTI A leading private healthcare group on Monday said it will provide COVID-19 jabs for free to children with specified co-morbidities even as the Centre is yet to announce its approval to itApollo Hospitals in a statement said however it is an indicative list and the final list of co-morbidities eligible for free vaccination would be as per the list published by the governmentZydus Cadilas Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D has already received Emergency Use Authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India DCGI in the country and will be administered to those aged 12 years and above It is yet to be introduced in the nationwide Covid vaccination programmeAs for the emergency use approval for Bharat Biotechs Covaxin in the 2-18 years age group by the DCGI it is under expert evaluation official sources had earlier saidOn October 12 the Subject Expert Committee SEC on COVID-19 of the central drug authority had recommended granting Emergency Use Authorisation to Covaxin for children and adolescents in the 2-18 years age group with certain conditionsApollo Hospitals sources on Monday claimed that the list of co-morbidities announced by the group on Monday was prepared after consulting with the governmentIt is anticipated that approval will soon be granted for vaccinating children with specified co-morbidities and immediately post-approval and details of the age-group permitted for vaccination the free vaccination initiative would be launched by Apollo Hospitals across its units the statement saidThe list is expected to include children with haematological neurological cardiac liver gastrointestinal rheumatic cancer respiratory genitourinary and developmental disorders it saidDr Prathap C Reddy Chairman Apollo Hospitals Group said Adults have been the focus of vaccination till now as by and large children have been spared from severe Covid infection However this is not the case in children with co-morbidities These children continue to be at high risk of developing a severe infection In addition children with comorbidities have also seen a significant psychosocial impact as the lockdown resulted in their missing out on the personalised attention and specialised treatment and care that they require The governments approval of vaccination for children with co-morbidities when it comes through will be a welcome step in the right direction he was quoted as saying in the statementRealising the criticality of this vaccination we will be extending the Covid vaccines completely free of cost to children with co-morbidities and giving them the necessarykavach shield against Covid Reddy saidBoth vaccines would be available at Apollo Hospitals vaccination centres across the country once all approvals by the government are in place and the vaccines are made available the statement said PTI KND RC