Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D To Be Introduced In Covid Vaccine Drive Shortly: Centre

The government today said Zydus Cadila's indigenously-developed needle-free Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D will be introduced in the nationwide vaccination drive very shortly and will be differentially priced than the jabs being used currently.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a press conference that the government is in talks with the manufacturer about the procuring price of the vaccine.

"As far as the price of the vaccine at which it will be procured is concerned, we are in conversations with the manufacturer. Since it is a three-dose vaccine and comes with a needleless delivery system, it would have a differential pricing than the existing vaccines that are being used in the Covid vaccination programme," he said.

"It will be introduced in the COVID-19 vaccination drive very shortly," Mr Bhushan added.

As regards the World Health Organisation (WHO) clearance for Covaxin, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said, "We know that scientific data, public health considerations and international health requirements are all considered on which the clearance is given by the WHO. All these have been provided and are being looked at. It will be decided by the World Health Organization accordingly."

ZyCoV-D has received the Emergency Use Authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and will be administered to those aged 12 years and above.

The Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years of age and unlike the ZyCoV-D, which is a three-dose vaccine, these are administered in two doses.