Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : June 19, 2022 2:01 PM IST
Covaxin proven safe for children of 2-18 years age group in phase III study
In a major development in the field of the fight against deadly coronavirus infection, Bharat Biotech International Ltd has said that its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin has proven to be safe, well-tolerated, and highly immunogenic in children and adolescents of 2-18 years age group in phase II/III study.
Bharat Biotech had conducted phase II/III trials of their vaccine shots to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin in healthy children and adolescents in the 2-18 years of age group between June 2021 to September 2021, Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) said in a statement. The company also stated that the study has also been accepted and published in Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Speaking to the media about the study results, the company said that the safety of the children after taking the vaccine shots is very crucial in the fight against COVID-19. "Safety of the vaccine is critical for children and we are glad to share that Covaxin has now proven data for safety and immunogenicity in children. We have now achieved our goal of developing a safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccine for adults and children for primary immunization and booster doses, making Covaxin a universal vaccine. It has proven to be a highly safe vaccine based on data from more than 50 million doses administered to children in India," Bharat Biotech Chairman and MD Krishna Ella said.
However, the vaccine also comes with some side effects, which according to the company are mostly mild and moderate. Some of the side effects the company has listed for the kids are:
Mild fever
Headache
Pain at the site of injection
Extreme fatigue, etc.
According to the studies, these symptoms post-COVID vaccination are nothing to worry about. They are easily manageable and stays hardly for a day. However, parents should look for a change in behavior of the child or some new symptom and consult the doctor immediately.
(With inputs from Agencies)
