India approved its sixth vaccine for emergency use against COVID-19 on 20 August, which is the World’s first DNA vaccine against COVID-19.
The three-dose DNA vaccine ZyCoV-D, from Zydus Cadila, developed with the Department of Biotechnology, will be the first approved for the 12-18 age group in the country.
It is the country’s second homegrown jab.
“This is the first step towards ensuring safe reopening of schools,” says Dr. Randeep Guleria,
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director and member of the government expert panel on Covid.
While children themselves are usually diagnosed with an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic version of the disease, they can transmit the disease to others in their homes, he said.