UPSC Articles
‘ZyCov-D’ vaccine
Part of: GS Prelims
In news: The Drug Controller General has granted emergency approval to the Zycov-D, a COVID-19 vaccine.
- This is the fifth vaccine, after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V and Moderna to be approved for use in India.
About Zycov-D
- Zycov-D is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Ahmedabad based Zydus Cadilla group and is the first vaccine in India that can be administered to adults as well as those 12 and above.
- It’s also the only DNA-based vaccine in the world and can be administered without a needle, purportedly minimizing chances of reactions.
- The vaccine has been developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology under the ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’.
- The three-dose vaccine once administered produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response.
- The plug-and-play technology on which the plasmid DNA platform is based can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring.
News Source: PIB
