Apollo Hospitals has announced on Monday that it will provide COVID-19 vaccination free of cost to children with specified co-morbidities, across the hospital network. Earlier, senior officials from the Telangana Health Department said that the vaccine for 12-18 years age group might be available in a few weeks.
Anticipating that the approval will soon be granted for vaccinating children with specified co-morbidities, the hospital’s management stated that the list is expected to include children with haematological, neurological, cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, rheumatic, cancer, respiratory, genitourinary and developmental disorders. The government is yet to publish a final list.
“The government’s approval of vaccinations for children with co-morbidities, when it comes through, will be a welcome step in the right direction. Realising the criticality of this vaccination, we will be extending COVID vaccines completely free of cost to children with co-morbidities,” said Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.
“There are two vaccines that have been given or are awaiting EUA by the government and these are: Covaxin for ages 2-18 years. Two doses with a gap of 28 days. Administered intra-muscularly. ZyCov-D: For ages 12-18 years. Three doses with a gap of 28 days. Needle-free vaccine administered intra-dermally. Both vaccines would be available at Apollo Hospitals’ vaccination centres across the country once all government approvals are in place and the vaccines are made available,” as per a press release.
