How Shortage Of Vaccines For 18-44 Group Will Hurt Children

Vaccinating parents against Covid-19 is key to reopening schools safely. It is also necessary for avoiding a catastrophic third wave that could target kids

- Abhilash Gaur

CHILDREN ALSO NEED VACCINES

It’s important to vaccinate adults first as they spread Covid more and are at greater risk from it, but life won’t return to normal until children are protected. Already, several vaccines are being trialled in children. On Thursday, Bharat Biotech got permission to test Covaxin in children aged 2-18 years. Pfizer’s vaccine is now approved for children over 12 years in the US and Canada. It is also being trialled in children aged 2-12 years. The European Medicines Agency expects to green-light the vaccine for teens by May-end

Adi last went to school to write his class 5 final exams. Class 6 passed staring at a laptop screen, and now he is in class 7. But even online school’s closed early this summer because many teachers and students have fallen ill in the second wave. Some teachers have died.

How long can this go on? School is not just about reading, writing and arithmetic. Children spend time together and learn important social skills. These are skills they can learn only from each other, not parents. But for the second year running, India’s children are under house arrest.