New Delhi: COVID-19 immunisation for children aged 12 to 14 will begin on Wednesday (March 16), according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. He also stated that the requirement of co-morbidity to receive the preventive dosage of the Corona vaccination would be abolished. This means that anyone above the age of 60 can receive the preventive dose, he explained.

"After due deliberation with scientific bodies, the Union Government has decided to begin COVID-19 vaccination for the 12–13 and 13-14 age groups (those born in 2008, 2009, and 2010, i.e. those who are already over 12 years of age) of the population on March 16, 2022," the health ministry said in a statement.

The COVID-19 vaccine to be administered would be Corbevax, manufactured by Biological Evans in Hyderabad.

The minister made the statement in Hindi on the social networking platform Koo, saying, "If the children are protected, the country will be safe as well! I am pleased to inform you that the COVID-19 immunisation of children aged 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 will begin on March 16. In addition, anyone over the age of 60 will be entitled to receive precautionary doses. " He also urged families with children and anyone over the age of 60 to be vaccinated.

India launched vaccinating its residents aged over 45 years on April 1, 2021. Later in May last year, the government decided to expand its drive to vaccinate people with the COVID vaccine and decided to administer the shots to those over 18.

In January 2021, India began its biggest vaccination drive by vaccinating a health care worker. PM Modi launched the drive. Initially, health care workers and frontline workers received the shot of the COVID vaccine.