COVID-19: Centre issues guidelines for 'precaution dose', vaccination for children aged 15-18 yrs

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], December 27 : The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday issued guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years, and precaution dose to health care and front line workers, and those above the age of 60 with comorbidities.
The COVID-19 vaccination of children between the 15-18 age group will start from January 3, 2022, and according to the guideline's vaccination option would be 'Covaxin' only.
The precaution dose can only be taken after 9 months i.e., 39 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose. The priority group is health care workers (HCWs) and front line workers (FLWs) who have received two-dose and they are eligible to get "precaution dose" of COVID-19 vaccine from January 10, 2022.
As per the guidelines for 60 years and above with comorbidities, "All persons aged 60 years and above with comorbidities who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, will on doctor's advice be provided with a precaution dose from January 10, 2022. The prioritization and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose."
The guidelines will come into effect from January 3, 2022 and will be reviewed from time to time.
All HCWs, FLWs and citizens aged 60 years or above with comorbidities will be able to access the vaccination for precaution dose through their existing Co-WIN account. Eligibility of such beneficiaries for the precaution dose will be based on the date of administration of 2nd dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system. Co-WIN system will send SMS to such beneficiaries for availing the precaution dose when the dose becomes due. Registration and appointment services can be accessed through both, the online and the onsite modes. The details of the administration of the precaution dose will be suitably reflected in the vaccination certificates.
All those aged 15 years or more will be able to register on Co-WIN. In other words, all those whose birth year is 2007 or before, shall be eligible. Beneficiaries can self-register, online through an existing account on Co-WIN or can also register by creating a new account through a unique mobile number, this facility is available for all eligible citizens presently. Such beneficiaries can also be registered onsite by the verifier/vaccinator in facilitated registration mode. Appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in). For such beneficiaries, the option for vaccination would only be available for Covaxin as this is the only vaccine with EUL for the age-group 15-17.
Earlier, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Health Authority (NHA) Dr RS Sharma, who also heads the functioning of the CoWIN platform had informed that the elderly population above 60 years of age with comorbidities who are eligible for COVID-19 'precautionary doses' will have to take a medical certificate to take the dose.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation had said that the precautionary doses of vaccine will be started for healthcare, frontline workers and citizens above 60 years with co-morbidities starting January 10, 2022.