First Batch Of Zydus Covid-19 Vaccine Released By Govt's Drug Laboratory For Commercial Use: Report

The Central Drug Laboratory in Himachal's Kasauli has released the first few batches of the Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila's DNA Covid-19 vaccine for commercial use.

The DNA Covid-19 vaccine is set to be introduced in India's vaccination drive this month.

"Four batches of the new DNA vaccine by Zydus Cadila have been released from the laboratory for commercial use," a senior official said, reports Economic Times.

The official added that the four batches would contain about 150,000 doses in total.

It should be noted that ZyCoV-D, a three-dose needle free Covid-19 vaccine, is the first vaccine in India which has been approved for 12 to 18 years age group.

The government and Zydus are currently negotiating over the price of the vaccine.

"We are in conversation with the manufacturer for its rollout. Since it is a three-dose vaccine and needs a needle-free injecting system, it will have a differential pricing in comparison to other available vaccines," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan was quoted as saying.