India’s vaccination boost: Centre places order for 1 crore doses of Zydus Cadila's needle-free COVID vaccine
Frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided a brief training for using the needle-free pharma jet application in actual field settings, for administering to adults.
FollowCentre on Sunday placed an order of 1 crore doses of Ahmedabad-based firm Zydus Cadila's three-dose Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D that is set to be included in the national anti-coronavirus inoculation programme, official sources said. It is leant that the Union Health Ministry has given the go ahead to initiate the preparatory work for the introduction of the indigenously developed world's first DNA-based Covid jab, which in all probability will be given to adults initially under the country's vaccination drive, sources in the know of developments said.
ZyCoV-D is the first vaccine cleared by India's drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above. “The Centre has already placed a purchase order with Zydus Cadila for supply of one crore doses of ZyCoV-D, each costing around Rs 358 excluding taxes, at the earliest. This price includes the cost of a disposable painless jet applicator which has to be used for administering each dose,” an official source said. “The vaccine in all probability will be given to adults initially because of limited production capacity,” the source was quoted by PTI. Zydus Cadila is in a position to provide one crore doses of ZyCoV-D per month, company officials are learnt to have conveyed to the ministry, the report said.
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Frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided a brief training for using the needle-free pharma jet application in actual field settings, for administering to adults.
The three doses of ZyCoV-D have to be administered 28 days apart, with each dose comprising a shot in both arms.
ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20.
Meanwhile, the NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) is working out a comprehensive programme for paediatric immunisation including developing a priority list of comorbidities for the launch of ZyCoV-D and Covaxin.
The official sources said as for the emergency use approval for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin in the 2 to 18 years age group by the Drugs Controller General of India, it is under expert opinion and evaluation.
