(Image source from: Hindustantimes.com)

Indian pharmaceutical giant Zydus Cadila developed a vaccine for coronavirus named ZyCoV-D and it is yet to get the needed approvals in the country. If approved, ZyCoV-D will be the first DNA jab in the world. It uses a portion of the genetic code of Coronavirus to induce the immune response in the recipients. Several top vaccines like Pfizer, Moderna and others are based on mRNA technology. There are talks that 5 crores doses of ZyCoV-D will be available in the country by December this year if approved soon. Zydus Cadila has applied to the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for emergency use authorization for ZyCoV-D.

The clinical trials are conducted in 50 cities of India and the third phase of clinical trials are conducted on 28,000 volunteers. There are no severe cases or deaths reported after taking both doses of ZyCoV-D. There are talks that ZyCoV-D can be given to children aged between 12 and 18 years. What's more special with ZyCoV-D is that it comes with PharmaJet, a needle-free applicator that will ensure painless delivery. Rs 500 crores are invested for this vaccination project and 12 crore doses can be manufactured per year. The gap between both doses of ZyCoV-D is said to be 28 days.