India’s Omicron variant-linked Covid-19 cases rose to 578 on Monday. The country also reported 6,531 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. The active caseload of coronavirus disease currently stands at 75,841 in India, according to data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.. 

The central government, after reviewing the situation in the wake of the Omicron threat, has    announced that Covid vaccination for children between 15-18 years will start from January 3, while a ‘precaution dose’ of the vaccine will be given to healthcare and frontline workers from January 10. 

Meanwhile, the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the country’s second vaccine for children under the emergency use category to Hyderabad-based vaccine maker  Bharat Biotech. The drug regulator had earlier cleared the application of Zydus Cadila for its child vaccine ZyCov D. Bharat Biotech said on Saturday that its vaccine COVAXIN has been permitted for emergency use in children 12 – 18 years of age.