Cadila Healthcare’s ZyCoV-D — This is what makes it different from other COVID-19 vaccines

• Cadila Healthcare has received approval from India’s drug regulator for emergency use of vaccines in children aged 12 years and above.
• The vaccine claims to have the potential to fight against the mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring.
• Moreover, unlike other vaccines, ZyCoV-D vaccine will be needle-free.

Cadila Healthcare has received the emergency use authorisation (EUA) approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for ZyCoV-D COVID-19 vaccine.

As of August 23, nearly 58.25 crore people have been vaccinated in the country, according to mygov.in.

ZyCoV-D now becomes the fifth vaccine in India which is in many ways different from the existing vaccines.

So what is different with this vaccine?

ZyCoV-D vaccine is for the younger population above 12 years of age. Adding to it, the vaccine is needle-free unlike other vaccines where the vaccine is injected through a needle.

This vaccine will be injected using the PharmaJet, a needle-free applicator which uses a narrow stream of the fluid to penetrate the skin and deliver the jab to the proper tissue as against traditional syringes.


ZyCoV-D is a plasmid (a type of DNA found mostly in bacteria) DNA vaccine, which when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response mediated by the cellular and humoral arms of the human immune system, which play a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance.

Moreover, the drug maker believes that the vaccine will be effective against the new mutations. “The Plasmid DNA platform also allows generating new constructs quickly to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring,” the company said in an exchange filing.

The company plans to manufacture 10-12 crore doses of ZyCoV-D annually and is expected to be made available in September in India.

The company also plans to seek approval for the two-dose regimen of the vaccine.

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