The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday approved Zydus Cadila's three-dose Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D for emergency usage. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine for children over 12 years of age.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization's (CDSCO) Covid-19 subject expert committee (SEC) had on Thursday discussed on Zydus Cadila's proposal and recommended giving emergency use authorization to its three-dose coronavirus vaccine.
Here's all you need to know about the new DNA-based vaccine for children:
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1.On July 1, the Ahmedabad-based pharma giant applied to the DCGI for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine. So far, the firm claims to have performed the largest clinical study for the vaccine in India, with over 50 centres participating.
2.ZyCoV-D is deemed to be the world's first DNA vaccine developed by an Indian company against the novel coronavirus infection, and will be the sixth vaccine approved for use in the country, following Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V, and the US-made Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.
3.The needle-free injector will be used to give the plasmid DNA-based ZyCoV-D intradermally.
4.In a late-stage experiment including over 27,000 participants from throughout the country, the vaccine demonstrated effectiveness of 66.6 percent. This vaccination has also been tested on 1,000 children aged 12 and above.
5. When administered, the vaccine generates the SARS-CoV-2 virus's spike protein and induces an immune response mediated by the human immune system's cellular and humoral arms, both of which play critical roles in disease prevention and viral clearance.
6.ZyCoV-D is a first-of-its-kind DNA vaccine that generates the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to induce an immune response.
7.The vaccine can be used to immunise not just adults but also adolescents aged 12 to 18.
8.The vaccine is kept at temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, although it has proven good stability at temperatures as high as 25 degrees Celsius for at least three months.
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9.The plasmid DNA platform facilitates production while requiring little biosafety (BSL-1).
10.Zydus stated that their research corresponded with the height of India's second wave of infections and confirmed its efficiency against new mutations, particularly the Delta type.
