Fact check: Is SII's Covid Vaccine Covovax available for adults?

Pune, May 05: A day after the Chief Executive Officer of Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SSI) Adar Poonawalla announced that Covovax is now available for children in India, a big question arises: whether its available for adults or not.

Adar Poonawalla clarified that the coronavirus vaccine 'Covovax' is available for everyone above the age of 12 years.

"A lot of you have asked if Covovax is available for adults. The answer is yes, it is available for everyone above the age of 12," Poonawalla wrote on Twitter.

On Tuesday, Poonawalla announced that children in the age group of 12 to 17 years can get the Serum Institute of India's (SII) Covid-19 vaccine Covovax.

"Covovax (@Novavax), is now available for children in India. This is the only vaccine manufactured in India that is also sold in Europe and has an efficacy of > 90%. This is in line with Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of providing yet another vaccine to protect our children," he announced on Twitter.

One dose of the Covovax will cost ₹900 plus GST - in addition to the hospital service charge of ₹150.

Currently, children aged 12 to 14 years are vaccinated with Biological E's intramuscular vaccine Corbevax, while those in the 15-18 age group are given Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.