Zydus Cadila Applies For Emergency Use Approval Of COVID-19 Vaccine For 12+ Age Group

Zydus Cadila vaccine: Pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila has applied for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) seeking approval for its COVID-19 vaccine from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for 12 years and above. The company has already completed the third phase trial for its DNA COVID-19 vaccine. If approved, the Zydus Cadila vaccine will be available for administration in children aged 12 and above.

The pharmaceutical company plans to manufacture about 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine shots annually. The said development can be a great relief for children who are waiting to get vaccinated amidst the possibility of a third wave that may hit India soon. According to experts, the third wave of the pandemic could primarily affect kids but there are no vaccines available for people under 18 years in India as of yet. Read more on the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic here.

Zydus Cadila applies for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) seeking approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the launch of their DNA vaccine for 12 years & above. The vaccine has completed the third phase of trial.#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/LDlsSkG3zF

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2021

Earlier, the centre had already informed the Supreme Court that the pharmaceutical company has finished the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine for the age group above 12 years of age and that the shots for the same would be available soon.

In an affidavit filed on COVID management, the centre had told the Supreme Court, "It is submitted that Zydus Cadila which is developing DNA vaccines has concluded its clinical trial for between the age group of 12 to 18 years of age and subject to the statutory permissions, the same may be available in near future for children in the age group of 12 to 18 years of age."

Not long ago in April, the company announced that it had got the emergency use approval for its drug Virafin- pegylated Interferon alpha-2b (PegIFN) for treating moderate Coronavirus infections in adult patients.

According to the company, a single dose of the subcutaneous (injected under the skin) regimen of the antiviral drug will make COVID-19 treatment more convenient for the patients.

It also added that Virafin will help patients recover faster and avoid much of the complications if it is administered early on during COVID.

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