A panel of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) will, this week, review the data of Serum Institute of India's (SII) anti-coronavirus jab Covovax to decide whether it can be included in the national Covid-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above or not.

India's drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28 and in the 12 to 17 years age group subject to certain conditions on March 9.

According to the sources in the DCGI, Director (Government and Regulatory Affairs) at SII Prakash Kumar Singh had recently written to the Health Ministry urging it to include Covovax in the national Covid-19 vaccination drive for 12 years and above. Singh stated that the Pune-based firm wants to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and is also waiting for directions to supply the vaccine to the Centre but has not mentioned the price.

"The Covid-19 working group of the NTAGI is set to meet on April 1 and review the data of Covovax to decide whether it can be included in the national COVID-19 vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above this week," an official source said.

In a letter to Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Singh was learnt to have said that private companies, educational institutes, social organisations, central government organisations and public sector undertakings are making requests for Covovax to inoculate their staffers, families and children.

"We have developed, manufactured and obtained emergency use authorisation from our national regulatory authority for one more world-class COVID-19 vaccine Covovax for 18 years and above on December 28, and for children in the age group of 12 to 17 years on March 9, 2022," an official source had quoted Singh as having said in letter.