Covaxin only vaccine option for children in 15-18 years age group: Govt
New Delhi, Dec 27: The vaccine option against COVID-19 for children in the age group of 15-18 years, who will be inoculated from January 3, would be Covaxin only, according to new guidelines issued by the Union health ministry on Monday.
The prioritisation and sequencing of the "precaution dose" (third dose) for healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and citizens above 60 years of age with comorbidities, would be based on completion of nine months from the date of administration of second dose, which is 39 weeks, the guidelines, which will come into effect from January 3, stated.
They will be able to access vaccination for the precaution dose through their existing Co-WIN account.
The Centre will hold a meeting with states and union territories on December 28 through video conferencing to discuss the framework for implementing the children vaccination programme and the precaution dose for HCWs, FLWs and senior citizens.
Eligibility for the precaution dose will be based on the date of administration of the second dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system, which will send an SMS for availing the precaution dose when it becomes due, the ministry informed.
Registration and appointment services can be accessed through online and onsite modes, and details of administration of the precaution dose will reflect in vaccination certificates, according to the guidelines.
The guidelines, however, do not mention which vaccine would be given as third dose or precaution dose.
"Those aged 15 years or more will be able to register on Co-WIN. In other words, all those whose birth year is 2007 or before, shall be eligible," according to the 'Guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years and precaution dose to HCWs, FLWs and 60+ population with comorbidities'.
Beneficiaries can self-register online through an existing Co-WIN account or create a new account through a mobilephone number. This facility is available for eligible citizens only.
They can be also registered onsite by a verifier or vaccinator in the facilitated registration mode, the ministry stated.
On vaccination of children, the guidelines said, "For such beneficiaries, option for vaccination would only be available for Covaxin as this is the only vaccine with EUL (emergency use listing) for the age-group 15-17."
The ministry said that as a matter of abundant precaution, for those HCWs FLWs, who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from January 10.
People aged 60 years and above with comorbidities, who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, will on doctor's advice be provided with the precaution dose from January 10, it said.
"The prioritisation and sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of nine months, i.e. 39 weeks from the date of administration of second dose," the guidelines stated.
Citizens irrespective of their income status are entitled to free COVID-19 vaccination at Government Vaccination Centres. Those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospitals' vaccination centres, the ministry said.
Keeping in view the recent global surge in COVID-19 cases, detection of the Omicron variant that has been categorised Variant of Concern, scientific evidence, global practices and inputs of the COVID-19 Working Group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization as well as of the 'Standing Technical Scientific Committee of NTAGI, it has now been decided to further refine the scientific prioritisation and coverage of vaccination, the guidelines stated.
The guidelines' document stated that 90 per cent of the adult population of the country has been covered with at least one dose and 62 per cent with both doses.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with HCWs getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of FLWs started from February 2.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
