As schools reopen and vaccines for children are expected by next month, the paediatric task force has suggested that youngsters with comorbidities should be prioritised during the vaccination drive for them. Mumbai is estimated to have 10 lakh children aged 12-17 years. Zydus Cadila's Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D, will be administered to children above 12 years and adults and is expected to be introduced as part of the vaccine programme soon. While an official announcement is still awaited, task force and state health department officials indicated that it can be rolled out next month or by early December.

Two-three vaccines expected

“We will have two-three vaccines for children before the end of this year. For vaccination, we should prioritise children with comorbidities, since they are more prone to complications if they get Covid-19. We will be preparing a list of comorbidities for this and submitting it to the government,” said Dr Bakul Parekh, paediatrician and member of the paediatric state task force.