First batch of ZyCoV-D Covid vaccine released by government

The Central Drug Laboratory in Kasauli released the first few batches of Zydus Cadila’s Covid-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D on Friday, which are expected to be included in the government’s immunisation campaign later 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, adding that the four batches would contain about 150,000 doses in total.
The three-dose, needle-free ZyCoV-D vaccine, made by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila, is India’s first Covid-19 vaccine licenced for children aged 12 to 18.

The Centre is presently negotiating the pricing of the vaccination with Zydus Cadila. People in the know informed ET that experts are looking at a price range of $250-300. The government has been purchasing Covishield from AstraZeneca and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech for 157.50 and 225.75 per dosage, respectively.

“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,” said health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.