The Union health ministry said on Thursday that pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila ’s Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D, will be initially introdu...
The Union health ministry said on Thursday that pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D, will be initially introduced in seven states – Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. However, the ministry did not specify the date.
In a statement, the ministry said these states have been advised to identify districts that have a high number of people who are still unvaccinated.
“National training for ZyCoV-D has been completed,” the statement said. “Selected states should plan sessions based on pharmajet injector and identify vaccinators to be trained for using it for vaccination.”
The pharmajet injector is used to deliver shots without using a needle. It is being used as Zydus Cadila’s vaccine is needle-free.
ZyCov-D is the world’s first DNA vaccine against the coronavirus disease and is given in three doses. It makes use of a portion of the genetic code – deoxyribonucleic acid or ribonucleic acid – in the SARS-CoV-2 virus to stimulate an immune response against its spike protein, according to the Ahmedabad-headquartered company.
The health ministry’s statement came after Union health secretary conducted a review of the Centre’s “Har Ghar Dastak” programme. It was launched on November 3 and is aimed at mobilising and vaccinating all eligible population who are either unvaccinated...
