From the weeks starting May 1, nearly 26 per cent of all people infected with Covid-19 in India have been in the 18-30 age group.
However, those over 60 — the age group considered most vulnerable to Covid-19 — only accounted for 13 per cent or less of all the fresh cases in the first 24 days of this month.
Government data shared on Wednesday evening showed that 26.58 per cent of the Covid-infected people between May 1 and May 7 were 18 to 30 years old, while between May 8 and May 14, the figure was 25.89 per cent, NDTV reported.
From May 15 to May 21, 25.64 per cent of the infected patients were in the 18-30 group, and for the next three days — from May 22 to May 25 — 25.60 per cent patients belonged to that age group.
Vaccination for the 18-44 age group, which received government approval on May 1, has been stopped in several states, including Delhi, Karnataka, amid a severe shortage of the jabs.
The data further showed that the next biggest infected group was 31-40 years old.
From the week starting May 1, 23.12 per cent patients were in the 31-40 age group, 22.79 per cent between May 8 and May 14, 22.58 per cent between May 15 and May 21, and 22.24 per cent from May 22 to May 24.
The data revealed that children and young adults — who are believed to be at risk during the third wave — accounted for less than 10 per cent of the cases during the same time period.
However, infection among this group showed an increase this week. From 7.82 per cent of all cases in the week starting May 1, it went up to 8.73 per cent in the previous three days.
The data further revealed that the biggest increase of infection was among the 11-17 years old — from 4.89 per cent in May 15-21 to over 5 per cent in May 22-24.
India’s vaccine shortage
The second Covid-19 wave has ravaged the country, which has seen the fatalities cross the three-lakh mark. However, daily cases have been dropping since a fortnight, with India reporting 2.08 lakh cases on Wednesday.
Amid this, vaccine shortage has emerged as a big hurdle in the country’s fight against the disease. The shortage of the jabs has forced several states to approach foreign manufacturers, but few are willing to deal with them directly.
Moderna is expecting to launch a single-dose vaccine in India next year and is in talks with Cipla, among other Indian firms. Another US pharma giant Pfizer is ready to offer 5 crore shots this year itself, but it wants significant regulatory relaxations including indemnification.
Currently, Covishield (developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford University) and Covaxin (developed by Bharat Biotech) are being used for the vaccination, while Russia’s Sputnik V will be rolled out shortly.
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