A third wave is on the way, and COVID-19 may affect children; paediatric facilities are inadequate, warns a Home Ministry panel

A panel of experts from the Home Ministry has warned the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of a COVID-19 third wave that could peak in October.

The committee of experts formed by the Home Ministry under the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has also stated that the COVID-19 third wave will affect children, who may be at risk in the same way as elders.

According to a report in The Times of India, the expert committee was formed under the MHA’s National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). The experts have also written about the importance of prioritising a virus vaccination drive for children with co-morbidities and those with special needs.

In its report to the PMO, the panel warned of a lack of medical facilities, doctors, staff, and equipment such as ventilators and ambulances to deal with such situations. According to media reports, the existing medical facilities are “nowhere near what may be required in the event that a large number of children become infected.”

Although the country’s drug regulators have approved Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D vaccine for children over the age of 12, the campaign has yet to begin. Earlier, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hinted that children could begin receiving vaccines against the virus in September.

The report, titled “Third Wave Preparedness: Children Vulnerability and Recovery,” discusses the possibility of a third-wave pandemic affecting children as well as the strategies needed to combat the pandemic.

The expert panel report emphasises the importance of immunisation for children with comorbidities and those with disabilities. The report warns that “despite several preventive measures,” the COVID third wave could peak in late October.

Dr. VK Paul, a key member of PM Modi’s COVID management team, previously stated that there is no evidence that children will be affected by the Covid third wave.

He had stated that adults should get vaccinated in order to protect children. However, Paul has now suggested that in the event of a COVID-19 infection surge, prepare for 23 hospitalizations for every 100 positive cases.

In response to a question about a possible third wave of COVID-19, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur stated that the Centre is fully prepared to deal with it.

He also stated that Rs 23,123 crore has been set aside for this purpose. Thakur stated that a special emphasis is being placed on strengthening paediatric care due to concerns that the third wave will disproportionately affect children.

By:  Divyanshi Jaiswal