The needle-free COVID-19 vaccine that is indigenously developed by the vaccine company Zydus Cadila will be introduced in the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination drive very shortly said the government on Thursday. It said it would have a differential pricing than the vaccines being used
As far as the price at which it will be obtained is concerned, the Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a press conference that the government is in talks with the manufacturer.
“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,” Bhushan added.
As regards the 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.”
The Emergency Use Authorisation has been issued to ZyCoV-D from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and will be administered to people 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 ZyCoV-D, are three-dose vaccines and these are administered in two doses.