COVID Vaccination for Children in India: A Step Towards Better Health, Wellbeing and Development

Abstract

As on December 2021, COVID vaccination for children is yet to commence in India, a country that has been a global leader in vaccinating the adult population. Two indigenous vaccines have already been approved for children by the Subject Expert Committee. Children are being considered as low risk and low priority for vaccination, as in them, COVID is commonly mild,
and complications, rare. However, the impact of the evolving SARS-CoV-2 mutants on children cannot be fully predicted,
and some children have comorbidities and immune deficiencies putting them at higher risk. Moreover, children not being
vaccinated has contributed significantly to parental anxiety and reluctance in sending them to school, and also the schools
continuing hybrid teaching and not being able to start physical and interactive activities that can improve children’s holistic
health, wellbeing and development. As globally across several countries, children are now being vaccinated, this is being
expected from India too. Vaccination of children may not only enhance protection against severe COVID and unpredictable
variants, but can help the children return to a more wholesome school life and childhood.