New Delhi: India’s drug regulator has approved Zydus Cadila’s three-dose Covid-19 DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above, bringing in the sixth vaccine authorised for use in the country.
The Drug Controller General has granted emergency approval to the Zycov-D, developed by the Ahmedabad based Zydus Cadilla group, on Friday, making it the first vaccine in India that can be administered to adults as well as those 12 and above.
It is also the only DNA-based vaccine in the world and can be administered without a needle, purportedly minimising chances of reactions.
The vaccine, jointly developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, had demonstrated a primary efficacy of 66.66 per cent in phase 3 clinical trials. It was the first Covid-19 vaccine in India to be tested in the adolescent population — those in the 12-18-year age group.
While the vaccine has been approved for use in the adolescent population, it is for the government to take a call on whether to roll out the vaccination drive for this age group.