Novavax Covid vaccine gets approval for 12-18 age group in India
New Delhi, March 23: Novavax, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases, on Tuesday announced the first emergency use authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine for adolescents in the age group of 12-18 years in India.
According to the official statement released by Novovax, the vaccine which is also known as NVX-CoV2373 has been manufactured and marketed in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII) under the brand name Covovax. It is the first protein-based vaccine authorized for use in this age group in India.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Covovax for restricted use in an emergency situation for active vaccination against Covid-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in people aged 12 and above.
"We're proud of this first approval in adolescents given the efficacy and safety that our data show in this population and that our Covid-19 vaccine will provide an alternative protein-based vaccine option for individuals 12 years of age and older in India," stated Stanley C Erck, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Novavax.
Also Read | 'Deltacron' cases on rise in India; know symptoms for hybrid Covid-19 variant
Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India said that "The approval of Covovax for adolescents 12 and older in India marks another significant milestone in strengthening our immunization efforts across India and LMICs."
"We are proud to deliver a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine with a favourable safety profile to the adolescents of our nation," he further said.
Notably, in December, DCGI approved emergency use authorisation for Covovax for adults aged 18 and above. Furthermore, Covovax has been granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization.
Also Read | Covid-19 vaccine not mandatory: Centre tells SC
-PTC News
