COVID vaccine for children

Inclusion of COVID-19 vaccine for children in the ongoing vaccination drive is awaiting Emergency Use Approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI). The recommendation by the Subject Expert Committee to the DGCI for granting EUA to jabbing children in the age group of 2-18 years with Bharat Biotech's covaxin has lessened worries of most parents even though it is going to take some time before the vaccine is available in the market and the guidelines are issued. Administering the vaccine to children, once it happens, will boost confidence among all states to actively consider the resumption of all offline classes in schools. Classes in secondary, graduation and post-graduation levels have resumed in most of the states, including Assam and vaccination for children can be expected to expedite reopening physical classes in the primary and the middle level as well. India is inching towards the 100-crore mark in vaccination drive with over 73% of the adult population administered single dose of COVID-19 vaccines and about 29.4% with both the doses. Breakthrough infections even among fully vaccinated individuals vindicated the caution by the health authorities against lowering the guards. The rise in daily positivity rate in the state from 0.98 to 1.53 in just one day indicate the apprehension of the spread of infection during the festival period coming true. An increase in infection can be attributed to a large number of people developing complacency and dropping the facemask. There are no visible efforts by the authorities to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour including wearing the facemask. Even though the numbers are not too high to press the panic button, ramping up the testing is crucial to identify the undetected infected individuals at the earliest before they spread to a larger population. Daily testing dipped to less than 14,000 during the Durga puja festival which is contrary to an advisory issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to focus on testing, tracing, treating and vaccination during festival and wedding season to sustain the momentum of decline in positivity. The Ministry asked the states and the people to be watchful during October, November, and December so that the infection remained contained while the country can take the vaccination forward over these three months to achieve the desired targets. Inclusion of children for vaccination will increase the number of targeted populations by another 25 crore and targets covering all age groups will then be readjusted. Expediting the vaccination of the majority of the adult population with both doses will reduce pressure on the state health departments for simultaneous vaccination of targeted children. Children in the primary and middle levels have suffered the worst learning loss as their physical classes have remained closed for the maximum period during the pandemic. Health and Educational departments are wary of reopening the classes in the primary and middle levels without the children being vaccinated first. Vaccination will boost confidence among parents and teachers in the resumption of offline classes and trigger hopes for making up for the learning loss. The digital divide led to the deprivation of the majority of children from quality education and many children from downtrodden and marginalized families who could not attend online classes for not being able to afford a smartphone or internet dropped out. The solution to the problems faced by these children continues to elude and under the prevailing circumstance, suspension of physical classes for longer periods will only lead to more dropouts negating the gains of many years. Lessons must be learnt from the state witnessing a spike in infection in the second wave after all COVID norms were thrown to dust during electioneering for the state assembly earlier this year. With by-polls to five assembly constituencies scheduled on October 30, all political parties, ruling as well as opposition owe a responsibility to ensure that these five assembly constituencies and nearby areas do not become hotspots of COVID infections in the state due to violation of COVID norms during electioneering. As movement across the state is relaxed barring the night curfew hours, any irresponsible electioneering of organizing poll rallies and door-to-door campaign without strict adherence to norms laid by the Election Commission resulting in fresh spike will lead to quickly spread to many other places. Assam can least afford a fresh restrictive regime when economic activities have gradually started after the state unlocked in August almost to pre-COVID level. The adult population in the society also owes a responsibility towards the student community as colleges and universities have enrolled fresh batches and making efforts to keep educational institutions remain infection-free so that physical classes at all levels can be resumed in full swing. The state containing COVID-19 infections is critical to focusing its attention on mobilising its resources and remain ready for carrying out vaccination in children as and when it is rolled out. A combined effort by the government and society can make it happen.