New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS): The emergency use authorisation to Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax for the 12-18 age group will further strengthen India's fight against Covid-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

Vaccine manufacturer Biological E. Ltd on Monday announced that its Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, has received emergency use authorisation (EUA) from India's drug regulator for the 12 to 18 age group. According to the Hyderabad-based firm, Corbevax is India's first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine against Covid-19.

In a tweet, Mandaviya said, "The @CDSCO_INDIA_INF has granted emergency use authorisation to COVID-19 vaccine CORBEVAX for 12-18 year age group. It is India's 1st indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain Protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19. This will further strengthen our fight against COVID-19."

Earlier in the day, the apex drugs regulator, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), granted final approval to Corbevax.

The approval is likely to significantly ramp up the government's ongoing drive to vaccinate children between 15 and 18 years of age, and later those between 12 and 14 years of age.

The vaccine manufacturer had sought emergency use authorisation for Corbevax on February 13. In response to that, the subject expert committee of DCGI had granted restricted emergency use authorisation to Corbevax on February 14. The recommendation was sent to the DCGI for final approval.

Corbevax is administered through an intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart and is stored at 2 to 8-degree Celsius temperature.