Ydus vaccine likely to be vailable by Oct: Centre

Zydus Cadila’s antinavirus vaccine, Zycov-d, is y to be available for use by ber first week, the Union rnment said on Thursday. ddressing a press briefing on d-19 updates in the country, n health secretary Rajesh han also hinted that vaccin among children will not n before October in the try. ZYCOV-D Covid-19 vacthe only Covid-19 vaccine to pproved for emergency use ng children 12 years and above in India.

“Coming to negotiations (with the company) what we have understood based on our very own engagement with the vaccine manufacturing company they will be in a position to make available this vaccine from the first week of October. We are in talks with them,” said Bhushan.

On August 20, India’s drugs regulator approved the Zydus Cadila vaccine for emergency use. ZYCOV-D, the world’s first plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19, is a three-dose vaccine which will be administered first on day zero, day 28 and then on the day 56.

Bhushan also reiterated that the country is still in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. “The second surge has not yet concluded. It is not over and therefore, we have to maintain all necessary precautions, particularly in light of our experience that after every festival we see a spike.”

The Centre cautioned that the months of September and October will be crucial in pandemic management and festivals in the period should be celebrated in accordance with Covid-19-appropriate behaviour.