In the ongoing clinical trials of vaccination on children, it is being expected that the trials on the age group 12 to 18 will soon be over. Zydus Cadila is conducting trials over the age group 12-18 and the trials will most likely end by July end.

Trials of ZyCoV-D, Covid-19 vaccine indigenously developed by Zydus Cadila are going on and once the trials are complete and the vaccine is approved by Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI), vaccinations for children above 12 years of age will begin by August.

The present situation of new variants emerging every few months demands that every citizen including children are vaccinated by the end of 2021 so that the antibodies develop in the body and if infected no one faces the severity of the infection.

The other point to be thought about is that will schools reopen after the children are vaccinated or will the schools open any sooner in the near future? AIIMS Director while discussing this issue said that the availability of vaccine for children will decide the reopening of schools. Schools need to be reopened as children have gone through major academic loss in the past 1 year. Vaccination of children will pave the way for the reopening of schools.

It is extremely important that people take the vaccines and not sit back with fear in mind. The side effects of the vaccine are mild fever or pain in the injected area of the arm; apart from this the vaccines might only give allergic reactions. It must be kept in mind that the vaccines are safe and a much needed thing against the ongoing pandemic and the new emerging variants.