Maharashtra is setting up child Covid centres and a pediatric task force to prep for a third wave of infections that is likely to be worse for children, the state Health Minister said today.
"The third wave could be deadly for small children below 18. We are in process of making child Covid care centers. Children need different ventilator beds and other medical equipment," Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope told reporters.
Covid-infected children needed to be with their mothers and required special pediatric ventilators, the minister pointed out.
"A pediatric task force will be made. As third wave will be hitting small kids more. If a child is positive, they can't stay alone. The mother has to be there with the child. Also children need special pediatric ventilators which need to be procured," Mr Tope said, adding that these steps were discussed in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Earlier this week, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, K Vijay Raghavan, said the third wave of the virus is inevitable.
"Phase three is inevitable given the higher levels of circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time-scale this phase three will occur. We should be prepared for new waves," he said.
Experts believe while the first wave affected the elderly the most, younger people have been infected in the second wave and the third wave could be deadly for children.
There are no vaccines for children in India.
Pfizer's vaccine has been approved for children in Canada and the US is also likely to clear the Covid shot for children above 12.
US Lawmakers Back Covid Chinese Lab Leak Theory After Two-Year Probe New XEC Covid Variant Spreads To 27 Countries, Here's What We Know So Far Study Shows How Long Covid Is Debilitating Children's Health Bengaluru Techie Loses Rs 11.8 Crore After "Digital Arrest" Kolkata Man Gets Divorce As "Imposition Of Wife's Friend" Is Deemed Cruelty Sebastian Zapeta: All About Guatemalan Migrant Who Set Woman On Fire Navy's Warship INS Tushil Docks In London On Maiden Operational Deployment "It Pains My Heart...": PM Cites Germany, Lanka Attacks At Christmas Event Illegal Migrant: Delhi Schools Ordered To Follow Strict Admission Process Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.