New Delhi: The third wave of covid-19 may occur either due to mutations in the virus or due to the available pool of susceptible population, which in turn is also dependent on various pharmaceutical and non- pharmaceutical interventions for management of the pandemic, government told parliament on Friday.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandavia, in reply to a question on whether third wave of covid-19 will impact children, the union health minister said that multiple waves have been noticed across the world during pandemics including the covid-19 pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, the Delta variant of SARS- CoV-2 has shown higher transmissibility than other mutant Variants of Concern (VOCs) identified to date. There is however no scientific evidence either from India or globally, to show that children get disproportionately infected with Covid-19 including delta variant, said the minister in a written reply.
“Children, if infected, generally remain asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms and do not get severe disease, said Madavia, adding that however, Union Health Ministry has issued specific Guidelines and has advised States to upgrade health infrastructure with respect to pediatric cases management.
“Ministry of Health & Family Welfare monitors the trajectory of covid-19 in the country as per the details provided by the states. The public health approach and clinical management protocol for Delta variant still remain the same. Five-fold approach of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccinate and adherence to COVID-Appropriate Behavior (CAB) remains the strategy for covid-19 containment," the health minister told parliament.
In response to a question, whether the Government is preparing any scheme to administer nasal vaccine/using imported injectable vaccine to children across the country, the health minister said that Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has granted permission to conduct of phase I clinical trial of intranasal adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccine (BBV154) (in Age group ≥18 yrs. and above) to M/s Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad on 12.02.2021.
So far as injectable vaccine for children is concerned, CDSCO has granted permission to conduct clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines in children to Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad (in Age group 2 to 18 years) for Whole-Virion Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine on 12.05.2021 for Phase II/ III clinical trial.
The government further informed parliament that Cadila Healthcare Ltd., Ahmedabad (in Age group ≥12 yrs and above) for DNA based Corona Virus Vaccine 04.01.2021 has given permission for Phase III clinical trial.
“The outcome of clinical trials depends on data emerging from the trial for the purpose of its approval for launch in the country. Further, CDSCO has not granted permission to conduct clinical trial of any imported covid-19 vaccine on children in the country," said Mandavia in a written reply.
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