SII’s Covovax gets EUA nod for 12-17 years age group

News Network

March 9, 2022

India's drug regulator has granted restricted emergency use authorisation to Serum Institute of India's Covid-19 vaccine Covovax for the 12-17 years age group subject to certain conditions, official sources said on Wednesday.

It is the fourth vaccine to receive the regulator's nod for use among those below 18 years.

The Drugs Controller General Of India's (DCGI) approval comes after the Subject Expert Committee on Covid-19 of the CDSCO last week recommended granting emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Covovax for those aged 12 to 17.

The government has still not not taken a decision on vaccinating those aged below 15 years. The health ministry has consistently said that additional need for vaccination and inclusion of population for vaccination are examined constantly.

In the EUA application to DCGI, Prakash Kumar Singh, director (government and regulatory affairs) at SII on February 21 had stated that the data from two studies on about 2707 children aged 12 to 17 years show that Covovax is highly efficacious, immunogenic, safe and well tolerated in this age group of children.

"This approval will not only be beneficial for our country alone, but will benefit the entire world, fulfilling our prime minister's vision of 'making in India for the world'. In line with the philosophy of our CEO, Dr Adar C Poonawalla, we are sure that Covovax will play an important role to protect children of our country and world at large against Covid-19 disease and will keep our national flag flying high globally," an official source had quoted Singh as having stated in the application.

The DCGI has already approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28. It has not yet been included in the country's vaccination drive.

The DCGI on February 21 granted restricted EUA to Biological E's Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12 to less than 18 years age group subject to certain conditions.

Covovax is manufactured by technology transfer from Novavax and is approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorisation and also granted emergency use listing by WHO on December 2017, 2020.

India has been using Bharat Biotech's Covaxin to vaccinate adolescents between 15-18 years.

ZyCov-D is the first vaccine cleared by India's drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above in August last year. Indigenously-developed Covaxin received approval for emergency use in 12 to 18 in December last year.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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