Corbevax and ZyCoV-D – Things to keep in mind before taking your kids for COVID-19 vaccination

• The government of India has approved a second COVID-19 vaccine for kids.
• The government would accept school ID cards for the vaccination of kids.
• Now kids over 12 years of age can get themselves registered for COVID-19 vaccination.

Disclaimer: This article should not be taken as medical advice.

The government of India has approved a second COVID-19 vaccine for kids, nearly a month after officially launching the vaccination drive for teens between the age of 15-18. This move will enable kids over 12 years of age vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government would accept school ID cards for the vaccination of kids, therefore, kids without an Aadhaar Card will also be able to get vaccinated.

This comes off as a sign of relief for parents who were getting anxious about the delay in getting their kids vaccinated. Adolescents can apply for the vaccination dose on the CoWin app.

But before taking your kids for vaccination, these are the things you need to know.

ZyCoV-D is needle-free
Age group: 15-18

Zydus’ vaccine ZyCov-D was the first COVID-19 vaccine — fifth vaccine overall — to be approved in India for kids. The vaccine was available for teens between the age of 15-18, starting from January 3, 2022.

Unlike other vaccines, ZyCov-D is needle-free. It is injected through a needle-free applicator called PharmaJet that uses a narrow stream of the fluid to penetrate the skin and deliver the jab.

This is also a plasmid — a type of DNA found mostly in bacteria — which provides the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system.

“The Plasmid DNA platform also allows generating new constructs quickly to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring,” Cadila Healthcare, the manufacturer of the vaccine, had told the government in August 2021.

Corbevax is a protein sub-unit COVID-19 vaccine
Age Group: 12-18

Corbevax is India’s first indigenously developed protein sub-unit COVID-19 vaccine, which includes parts of a virus that stimulates an immune system.

"CORBEVAX is a “recombinant protein sub-unit” vaccine, developed from a component of the spike protein on the virus’s surface, which helps the body build the immune response against the virus,” Biological E Limited, the manufacturer of the vaccine, explained.

The vaccine has been developed by Biological E Limited in collaboration with Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development (Texas Children’s CVD) and Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor) in Houston, Texas.

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