Will Zydus Cadila’s COVID Jab for Kids Pave the Way for Reopening Schools?

Is vaccinating children the only way for schools to reopen? We discuss with epidemiologist Dr Chandrakant Lahairya.

The Big Story podcast on COVID-19 vaccinations for children and Zydus Cadila. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: Arnica Kala/The Quint)

India cast a wider net with its vaccination programme, as it gave its emergency approval for the first COVID vaccine for children in the country.

Recently on Friday, 20 August, Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine got a green signal from the DGCI, as it was found to be safe for both adults and children aged between 12 and 18 years.

This is said to be the world’s first DNA based COVID-19 vaccine and unlike the other vaccines, this one will be administered in three doses.

For close to 18 months now, schools have remained shut as children form a bulk of the unvaccinated and vulnerable population in the country. But with Zydus Cadila's approval be able to pave the way for reopening schools?

Is vaccinating children the only way forward for schools to reopen? To discuss this pertinent topic and the new COVID-19 vaccine, for this episode, we spoke to epidemiologist and public health expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya.