India's apex drug regulatory body Drugs Controller General of India's Subject Expert Committee on February 14 granted the restricted emergency use authorisation to Biological E's COVID vaccine Corbevax for adolescents in the 12 to 18 years age bracket. 

However, the approval is subject to certain conditions, said a source familiar with the development. This approval for Corbevax is likely to speed up the ongoing vaccination drive for children between 15 and 18 years of age, and also for those between 12 and 14 years of age. The DCGI has already approved two vaccines - Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadilla's ZyCovD vaccine for minors. ZyCovD vaccine is the world's first plasmid-DNA vaccine which has been approved for children above 12 years.

Corbevax is India's first indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against COVID-19 and is based on a protein antigen technology that binds to the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor on the host cell membrane and facilitates virus entry. The body's own cells stimulate the immune system of the body to produce antibodies to protect against the infection.

Meanwhile, India has administered both doses of COVID vaccines over 1.5 crore adolescents of 15 to 18 age group. As per the Health Ministry report on February 14 evening, a total of 5,24,01,155 first vaccine doses and 1,63,10,368 second doses have been administered so far to this group.