How beneficial is Covid-19 vaccine for children? AIIMS doctor explains

With a recent sero survey revealing that almost 60% of children have so far been infected with Covid-19, an AIIMS professor said on Monday that there is no study to justify that the vaccine will be very beneficial for those aged below 18, reported news agency ANI. 

“Sero survey by ICMR stated almost 60% children were infected with Covid. The death rate is two in a million in children, which is very low,” said Dr Sanjay K Rai, a professor at Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

“There is no such study to justify that vaccine will be very beneficial for children,” added Rai. 

He noted that globally it is observed that SARS-CoV-2 is not fatal in children.

"Only a very mild infection is present. In a few children, it's milder than the common cold. Currently, we do not have any justification on whether Zydus Cadila, Bharat Biotech, Pfizer or Moderna...which is the mildest. These vaccines are reducing the severity of the infection but not the infection," said Rai.

Covaxin trials for children 

Further, the doctor said that the safety and immunogenicity of India's Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin are almost the same in children as in adults above 18 years of age.

“Covaxin's trial was done on three age groups. The first group examined was between 12 -18 years, the second group was between 6- 12 years and the third age group was between 2-6 years," said Rai. 

Rai was the principal investigator of Covaxin trials on children.

"At first, we finished the examination of people aged between 12- 18 years and then subsequently other groups. Covaxin's vaccine safety and immunogenicity are almost the same. However, the final results of these trials are awaited. We had already carried out trials on the adult population. For children, we are waiting for the results," said the doctor.