India gets needle-free Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D, first of its kind for kids above 12 years
ZyCoV-D is the world's first DNA-based vaccine to get the nod in any country.
FollowZydus Cadila, India's first indigenously-developed DNA-based vaccine, has received approval for Emergency Use Authorization from the Drug Controller General of India for ZyCoV-D.
The needle-free vaccine can now be administered in humans, including children and adults, 12 years and above.
ZyCoV-D is the fifth vaccine cleared for use in the country after locally-produced Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Serum Institute's Covishield, Russia's Sputnik V and the US-made Moderna.
Also, ZyCoV-D is the world's first DNA-based vaccine to get the nod in any country.
The clinical trials of the Plasmid DNA vaccine against COVID-19 were conducted in over 50 centres. The vaccine was reportedly found to be very well tolerated. The vaccine showed an efficacy of 66.6 per cent against symptomatic COVID-19 cases and 100 per cent for moderate disease.
This was the first time that any COVID-19 vaccine had been tested in the adolescent population in the 12-18 years age group in India.
The plasmid DNA platform is based on a plug and play technology that is ideally suited for dealing with COVID-19. It can be adapted to deal with virus mutations.
ZyCoV-D is applied using a 'needle-free injector', which Zydus claims will lead to a significant reduction in side effects.
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