The regulatory body of medicines of India approved the world’s first needle-free DNA vaccine against COVID-19 for emergency use and said it plans to launch the vaccine in September.
According to an interim study cited by vaccine manufacturer Cadila Healthcare, the three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 66 percent of those vaccinated.
The third key phase of the clinical trials was carried out at the peak of the second deadly wave of the virus and, according to its manufacturer, this reaffirms the “efficacy of the vaccine against mutant strains”, especially the delta variant which is highly infectious . In addition, Cadila Healthcare highlighted that it conducted the largest clinical trial of the vaccine in India to date with 28,000 volunteers in more than 50 centers.
“We are doing everything possible to implement it as quickly as possible,” said Sharvil Patel, Managing Director of Zydus Cadila, in statements to the media, who also clarified that “the price will depend on the technology, delivery and volumes, and the reference price”.
India has so far administered more than 570 million doses of three pre-approved vaccines: Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V. About 13 percent of adults completed their vaccination cycle and 47 percent received at least one vaccine since the beginning of the campaign in January.
How the DNA vaccine works
Its application consists of three doses and withstands temperatures of 25 degrees for three months, so it does not need cold or anything similar for its storage, only a place that does not receive heat, thus facilitating reaching more complicated places.
According to scientists, one of the advantages of DNA vaccines is that they are relatively inexpensive, safe, and stable. It can be administered to both adults and children from 12 to 18 years old.
Being a DNA vaccine, once administered, it teaches the body’s immune system to fight the real virus. ZyCoV-D uses plasmids or small rings of DNA, which contain genetic information, to apply the pinprick between two layers of skin.
Another great advantage is that you do not need a needle. It is given with a disposable needleless injector, which uses a narrow stream of fluid to penetrate the skin and deliver the puncture to the appropriate tissue.
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