KATHMANDU, Dec 4: Although various companies around the world have successfully tested the vaccine against COVID-19, children under the age of 14 will not be able to get the vaccine. 

As there has been no clinical trial on children under the age of 14 so far, this group is not in a position to get vaccinated in the first phase, according to Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam, chief at the Child Health and Immunization Section of the Department of Health Services. "So far, we have not received information on clinical trials of coronavirus vaccine among children under 14," he said.

According to Dr Sharma, the group is comparatively less affected by the coronavirus infection and had fewer deaths because of which they may not have been used in the first phase. "The impact of coronavirus on children is less than in the adult age group, scientists may be thinking about the need for vaccination in this group as well," said Sharma.

However, the COVID-19 has caused both infection and death in children in Nepal. About 28 percent of the total population is under 14 years of age in Nepal, which means 28.9 percent children will be deprived of the coronavirus vaccine. The percentile accounts for 8.62 million children in Nepal.

Sharma said Covax, an international body that initiates immunizations will purchase and distribute end-to-end tested vaccines worldwide simultaneously. It will also reach Nepal in the same order. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the vaccine will arrive in Nepal within the next three months.

 
• coronavirus_vaccine
 
• COVID-19
 
• COVAX
 
• Dr_Jhalak_Sharma_Gautam