News Analysis India

Tag: ZyCoV-D

  • CDSCO approves shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines as 12.5 crore Indians are due for second dose

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Central Drugs Standard Organisation (CDSO) has approved the shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines Covaxin to 12 months, Covishield to nine months, and ZyCoV-D to six months from the date of manufacture, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

    Regarding the administration of booster doses, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) and the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) are deliberating and considering scientific evidences related to this aspect.

    Responding to a question on the shelf life of Covid vaccines approved in the country and their active period among the vaccinated people, Mandaviya, in a written reply, said the vaccines were developed very recently, therefore, scientific evidence regarding the duration of protection is still evolving globally.

    “The National Regulator, i.e. the CDSO, has approved the shelf life of nine months for Covishield vaccine, for Covaxin vaccine it is 12 months and for ZyCoV-D vaccine it is six months from the date of manufacture,” Mandaviya said.

    On whether the government has taken stock of vaccines lying unused in government and private hospitals and proposes to procure and redistribute the unused vaccines before their dates of expiry, Mandaviya said the central government closely monitors COVID-19 vaccine stocks in states and Union Territories to ensure their optimal utilisation.

    COVID-19 vaccine stock which has not been utilised in private hospitals and nearing expiry has been taken up for redistribution by respective state governments, as advised by the Union government, for their timely utilisation, he said.

    Listing steps taken by the government to ensure adequate production and supply of Covid vaccines and booster doses along with the total expenses incurred and funds allocated and disbursed in this regard, Mandaviya said under ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’ being implemented by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a PSU of Department of Biotechnology, efforts have been made to strengthen COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capabilities of Indian industry, to ensure optimal vaccine production.

    In this regard, augmentation of manufacturing facilities was supported at Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) and Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad.

    The IIL, supported under the mission, has achieved a production capacity of around 20 lakh doses/month equivalent Drug Substance (DS) of Covaxin.

    The validation of the BBIL facility at Malur, Bengaluru is complete and production of DS started in August 2021.

    Further, support for facility augmentation at Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr; and Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd (HBPCL), Mumbai; for Covaxin production is under consideration.

    An amount of Rs 260 crore has been allocated to support facility upgradation for augmented Covaxin production, out of which, an amount of Rs 27.25 crore has been disbursed so far, Mandaviya said.

    Additionally, DBT along with the PSU BIRAC, is facilitating expert advisory support for facility up-gradation at Gujarat COVID Vaccine Consortium (GCVC), for augmented production of Covaxin, he said in the written reply.

    In the current financial year i.e. 2021-22, Rs 35,000 crore has been budgeted for implementation of COVID-19 vaccination programme.

    As on November 27, an expenditure of INR 19,675.46 crore has been incurred against this allocation which has been utilised for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supply to states and Union Territories, he said.

    A total of 12.5 crore people are due for second dose of COVID-19 vaccine after completion of the stipulated dosage interval as on November 30, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.

    Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar was responding to a question on the number of people who have dropped out of taking the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

    “As on November 30, a total of 12.5 crore people are due for the second dose of Covid vaccine after completion of stipulated dosage interval,” she noted.

    Asked if the government has prepared any plan to identify and reach out to such people who did not take the second dose, Pawar said the Centre launched ‘Har Ghar Dastak Abhiyaan’ from November 3 wherein missed beneficiaries for first dose and due beneficiaries for the second dose are identified and vaccinated through house-to-house activity.

    This campaign is undertaken across all districts, including those with first dose coverage of less than 50 per cent.

    As on November 30, a total of 29 districts have vaccination coverage less than 50 per cent for first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, she said.

    The district-wise and CVC-wise plan for COVID-19 vaccination coverage is prepared by district magistrates and district immunisation officers in all districts irrespective of their coverage.

    On whether there are any repercussions on the health of those who missed their second dose voluntarily, the minister said people who do not complete the COVID-19 vaccination schedule may not receive full protection against the infection.

    Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of beneficiaries (2,11,29,397) due for the second dose followed by Rajasthan at 1,23,32,133, Maharashtra at 1,00,31,101, Bihar at 93,60,859 and Tamil Nadu at 80,50,574 beneficiaries.

  • Centre places purchase order for one crore doses of Zydus’ needle-free Covid vaccine

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Zydus Cadila’s three-dose Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D is set to be included in the national anti-coronavirus inoculation programme this month with the Centre placing a purchase order with the Ahmedabad-based firm for one crore doses, official sources said on Sunday.

    The Union Health Ministry is learnt to have given the go ahead to initiate the preparatory work for the introduction of the indigenously developed world’s first DNA-based Covid jab, which in all probability will be given to adults initially under the country’s vaccination drive, sources in the know of developments said.

    ZyCoV-D is the first vaccine cleared by India’s drug regulator for inoculation of those aged 12 years and above.

    “The Centre has already placed a purchase order with Zydus Cadila for supply of one crore doses of ZyCoV-D, each costing around Rs 358 excluding taxes, at the earliest. This price includes the cost of a disposable painless jet applicator which has to be used for administering each dose,” an official source said.

    “The vaccine in all probability will be given to adults initially because of limited production capacity,” the source said.

    Zydus Cadila is in a position to provide one crore doses of ZyCoV-D per month, company officials are learnt to have conveyed to the ministry.

    For administering to adults, frontline workers and vaccinators will be provided a brief training for using the needle-free pharma jet application in actual field settings.

    The three doses of ZyCoV-D are to be administered 28 days apart, with each dose comprising a shot in both arms.

    ZyCoV-D received emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator on August 20.

    Meanwhile, a comprehensive programme for paediatric immunisation including developing a priority list of comorbidities is being worked out by the NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) for the launch of ZyCoV-D and Covaxin.

    As for the emergency use approval for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin in the 2 to 18 years age group by the Drugs Controller General of India, it is under expert opinion and evaluation, official sources said.

    The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drug Authority on October 12 had recommended granting emergency use authorisation to Covaxin for children and adolescents in the 2 to 18 years age group with certain conditions.

    At present, every citizen who is 18 years or above is eligible for the vaccination drive.

  • ‘Lack of vaccine applicators delaying ZyCoV-D launch’, say government officials

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The availability of a special applicator required to administer Covid vaccine by Zydus Cadila is delaying its launch in the country, government officials have said.  ZyCoV-D is the first Covid vaccine in India to be approved for 12-17 year age group apart from adults. The government had intended to launch it on October 2 for giving an impetus to the ongoing national Covid vaccination drive.

    “However, first there was delay owing to the price negotiation between the government and the company and then there was the issue of availability of applicators as the vaccine needs to be administered intradermally,” said a source in the Union health ministry.

    The source added that the applicator which costs about Rs 30,000 and can be used for about 20,000 doses should be available in India by this week, paving the way for the vaccine’s launch. The applicators are being produced by Pharmajet and are not made in India.

    The Ahmedabad-based company had projected the vaccine as a painless vaccine that has to be administered in three doses. The firm, though has not published data from the phase 3 trials of the DNA based vaccine yet, has claimed that it was about 67 % effective in reducing Covid, including that caused by Delta variant.

  • Debate over prices halted launch of Zydus’ Covid-19 vaccine on Gandhi Jayanti?

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Even as disagreement over the price of Covid-19 vaccine by Zydus Cadila between the company and the government has delayed its launch in the national vaccination drive, the Centre is insisting on Rs 300 per shot for the vaccine which is to be administered in three doses.

    Earlier, the plan was to roll out the ZyCoV D vaccine, the only vaccine approved also for the 12-17 year age group so far, on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

    Sources in the Union government said that in a meeting between government officials and company representatives on Sunday, the firm had quoted a price of Rs 1,900 for the three doses of the vaccine, which is based on plasmid DNA and its three doses are to be given over a 56-day period.

    “We are, however, negotiating to procure the vaccine for Rs 900 for the three doses as the government will also need to invest in a needle-free jet injector that has to be used for administering the vaccine,” said a senior official.

    The applicator by PharmaJet costs about Rs 30,000 and can be used for administering around 20,000 doses.

    Sources added that a few more rounds of negotiations are likely this week before a government procurement price, as well as the price of the vaccine in private hospitals can be fixed.

    The government is hoping to procure nearly 1 crore doses of the vaccine this month while till the year-end, the company has committed to supply about 5 crore doses of the vaccine.

    In a press briefing last week, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said that the vaccine will be priced differently than the jabs being used currently.

    “Since this is a three-dose vaccine and comes with a needleless delivery system, it would have a differential pricing than the existing vaccines which are being used in Covid vaccination,” he had said.

  • ZyCoV-D to be introduced in Covid vaccination drive shortly: Government

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said Zydus Cadila’s indigenously-developed needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D will be introduced in the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination drive very shortly and would have a differential pricing than the jabs being used currently.

    As far as the price at which it will be procured is concerned, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a press conference that the government is in talks with the manufacturer.

    “As far as the price of the vaccine at which it will be procured is concerned, we are in conversations with the manufacturer. Since it is a three-dose vaccine and comes with a needleless delivery system, it would have a differential pricing than the existing vaccines that are being used in the Covid vaccination programme,” he said.

    “It will be introduced in the COVID-19 vaccination drive very shortly,” Bhushan added.

    As regards the WHO clearance for Covaxin, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said, “We know that scientific data, public health considerations and international health requirements are all considered on which the clearance is given by the WHO. All these have been provided and are being looked at. It will be decided by the World Health Organization accordingly.”

    ZyCoV-D has received the Emergency Use Authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and will be administered to people aged 12 years and above.

    The Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years of age and unlike ZyCoV-D, which is a three-dose vaccine, these are administered in two doses.

    The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) had earlier said ZyCoV-D is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against the coronavirus and when injected into the human body, produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from the disease as well as viral clearance.

  • Zydus Cadila vaccine likely to seek 2-dose approval, not 3

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  India’s second indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine — ZyCoV-D by Zydus Cadila — that was approved last month for the national vaccination programme is set to seek approval for a two-dose regimen, in a departure from a schedule permitted earlier.

    The permission granted by DCGI in August was for a three-dose schedule, which was tested for efficacy in the Phase 3 clinical trials. Sources said that ZyCoV-D, which showed an efficacy of about 66.6% for preventing Covid-19 infection, is planning to move a fresh application to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for allowing the vaccine to be administered in two doses.

    Currently, the plasma DNA based vaccine has been permitted to be administered on Day 0, Day 28 and Day 56. “While the vaccine has been approved for a three-dose schedule, it will be logistically more convenient and user friendly if the vaccine can be administered in two doses,” said a source. As of now, tests are underway to check the efficacy of the vaccine in two doses and with concrete data in hand, the firm will apply to the CDSCO for a change in the dosing regimen.

    ZyCoV-D is the first vaccine in India also permitted for 12-17 year olds apart from adults. It has also been touted as a needle free vaccine that can be administered with a applicator which ensures painless intra-dermal vaccine delivery.

    The Ahmadabad-based firm has claimed that the platform used in the vaccine, because of its rapid plug and play technology, can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring. The company is looking to launch the vaccine commercially by this month, though it is yet to announce its price for the private market. It is in negotiations with the government over the rate at which the Centre will purchase it for the national programme.

    Like other Covid-19 vaccines in India, 75% of ZyCov-D manufactured every month will be picked up by the Union health ministry for supply to the states. The rest will be available for private hospitals and will be available for beneficiaries at a pre-decided rate.

    Nearly 10-12 crore doses have been planned to be manufactured annually. But by year end, about 5 crore doses are likely to be supplied by the company which had stockpiled about 15-20 million doses before the vaccine was granted restricted use authorisation.

  • Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine to be available from first week of October

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union government is expecting Zydus Cadila’s needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D to be available from the first week of October.

    Further, a decision on whether all children or only those with co-morbidities will be administered the COVID-19 vaccine on priority has not yet been taken, the government said on Thursday.

    Indigenously developed Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D on Friday received approval for Emergency Use Authorisation from the drug regulator, making it the first vaccine in the country which would be administered in the age group of 12-18 years.

    On the kind of negotiations in terms of pricing and when the government plans to procure ZyCoV-D, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “Coming to negotiations, what we have understood from media reports as well as our own engagement with the vaccine manufacturing company is that they would be in a position to make available this vaccine from the first week of October.”

    “So we are in talks with them and the moment we crystallise the terms and conditions of procurement we will share it with you,” he said at a press conference.

    On whether children with comorbidities would be prioritised for vaccination, Bhushan said whether all children should be taken up on priority or children with comorbidities should be taken up is an issue on which the standing committee on COVID-19 of NTAGI makes a recommendation.

    “The recommendation has not been made as yet and once it is made then the NTAGI takes a call on it and recommends it to the government and then that process is concluded and a decision is taken,” he said.

    Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years and unlike ZyCoV-D, which is three-dose, these are administered in two doses.

    The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has said that ZyCoV-D is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against the coronavirus and when injected produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from the disease as well as viral clearance.

    It said that interim results from Phase-III clinical trials in over 28,000 volunteers showed primary efficacy of 66.6 per cent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases.

    This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for COVID-19, the DBT said.

    The vaccine had already exhibited robust immunogenicity and tolerability and safety profile in the adaptive phase one and two clinical trials.

    Both Phase one/two and Phase three clinical trials have been monitored by an independent data safety monitoring board, it added.

  • Despite approval to Zydus Cadila vaccine, kids’ inoculation may not start anytime soon

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Despite an approval from the drug regulator to Covid-19 vaccine by Zydus Cadila for the 12-17 age group, apart from adults, vaccination will be available for adolescents and children universally only after adult vaccination is completed. 

    Vaccination for adolescents and kids with serious comorbidities, however, are likely to start in October when sufficient doses of ZyCoV D is available.

    Talking to this newspaper, N K Arora, chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation said while ZyCoV D has been approved for 12-17 year olds, by the end of this month or early September, Covaxin may also be available for children.

    Covaxin by Bharat Biotech is being tested on 2-17 year olds as part of an extended Phase 3 clinical trial that had ended for adults in March-April.

    “Our plan is to offer universal vaccination to kids only when all adults are covered as they have a much higher risk of developing serious disease. But we are set to do prioritisation for children with severe underlying conditions,” said Arora. 

    He added a panel of doctors who defined the clinical criteria for the 45-59 group in the second phase of vaccination will come up with guidelines for kids’ vaccination. “These guidelines will be released by September end.”

    Underlying diseases that may lead to vaccine prioritisation include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Experts have said that risk of severe disease due to Covid is far lower in kids. Their vaccination should be considered only when there are vaccines, effective in preventing transmission, are available. 

    “None of the available vaccines are capable of preventing transmission. They offer protection from hospitalisation and severe disease. There should be no hurry to vaccinate children,” Chandrakant Lahariya, health systems and vaccine specialist, said earlier.

  • Hope to start supply of ZyCoV-D vaccine by mid to end September: Zydus Group MD

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Saturday said it is looking to supply its COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D by the middle to end of September, adding the pricing of the dose will be announced in the next one or two weeks.

    The company’s indigenously developed needle-free three-dose COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D was granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the drug regulator on Friday, making it the first vaccine to be administered to beneficiaries in the age group of 12-18 years in the country.

    “Post the emergency use authorisation, now we will work closely with the regulatory authorities to work on the pricing and modality of delivery of the doses of our vaccine. In next one or two weeks we will have better clarity on the pricing,” Zydus Group Managing Director Sharvil Patel said in a virtual press conference.

    The company hopes that “by middle to end of September, we can start supplying the vaccines, and as I said we need to scale up to 1 crore doses and we believe by October we can achieve this. We believe by October we will start producing 1 crore doses and that would mean by end of Jan we can have 4 to 5 crore doses,” he added.

    Asked if the company was considering partnering with other firms to scale up production of its vaccine, Patel said Zydus Cadila is actively looking at ramping up manufacturing both domestically through partnerships and also outside of the country.

    The company is also seeking approval for a two-dose regimen of the vaccine, he added.

    Describing the approval for Zydus Cadila’s vaccine as a momentous feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet on Friday had said, “India is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour. The approval for world’s first DNA based ”ZyCov-D” vaccine of @ZydusUniverse is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India’s scientists. A momentous feat indeed.”

    ZyCoV-D is the sixth vaccine to get the emergency use authorisation in the country, after Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccines of Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

    Of these, Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are currently in use in India.

    These vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years of age and unlike ZyCoV-D, which has three doses, these are administered in two doses.

    “This is a historic milestone with ZyCoV-D, a product of Indian innovation becoming the world’s first DNA vaccine being offered for human use and supporting the world’s largest immunization drive,” Cadila Healthcare Chairman Pankaj R Patel had said on Friday.

    The company plans to manufacture 10-12 crore doses of ZyCoV-D annually, Zydus Cadila had said in a statement.

    “We are particularly happy that our vaccine will contribute to this fight against COVID-19 and enable the country to vaccinate a larger population especially in the age group of 12-18 years.

    “I would like to thank all the researchers, clinical trial investigators, volunteers and the regulators who have supported this endeavour,” the Cadila Healthcare chairman had added.

  • Zydus Cadila’s Covid vaccine gets approval, to be administered to children in India

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Zydus Cadila’s indigenously developed needle-free COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D was granted the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) by the drug regulator on Friday, making it the first vaccine to be administered to beneficiaries in the age group of 12-18 years in the country, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) said.

    Describing the development as a momentous feat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour.

    According to the CoWIN portal, over 57.5 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.

    “India is fighting COVID-19 with full vigour. The approval for world’s first DNA based ‘ZyCov-D’ vaccine of @ZydusUniverse is a testimony to the innovative zeal of India’s scientists. A momentous feat indeed,” Modi said in a tweet.

    It is the sixth vaccine to get the emergency use authorisation in the country after Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccines of Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.

    Of these, Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are in use.

    These vaccines are being given to only those above 18 years of age and unlike ZyCoV-D, which has three doses, these are administered in two doses.

    “Double good news for the nation! @CDSCO_INDIA_INF approves the 1st DNA-based, needle-free #COVID19 vaccine in the world – ‘ZyCov-D’ of @ZydusUniverse Making children of India COVID-safe, this vaccine can be used for individuals aged 12 and above,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet.

    “ZyCov-D is the 6th approved #COVID19 vaccine in India, and the 2nd indigenously developed one. PM @NarendraModiji’s vision of #AatmanirbharBharat and Make in India delivers another significant accomplishment!” he said in another tweet.

    “After evaluation of interim Phase III clinical trial results in consultation with Subject Expert Committee, CDSCO has approved DNA COVID-19 vaccine (ZyCoV-D) of M/s Cadila Healthcare for restricted use in emergency situation in India for 12 years and above,” the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) wrote on Twitter.

    The DBT said ZyCoV-D is the world’s first DNA-based vaccine against the coronavirus and when injected, produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from the disease as well as viral clearance.

    The “plug-and-play” technology on which the plasmid DNA platform is based can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring, it said.

    “Zydus Cadila has received approval for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for ZyCoV-D today i.e. 20/08/2021, the world’s first and India’s indigenously developed DNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 to be administered in humans, including children and adults 12 years and above,” the government department said.

    In another tweet, the CDSCO said the vaccine has a 66-per cent efficacy and it is to be stored in a temperature range of two to eight degrees Celsius.

    The vaccine is needle-free, to be administered intradermally in three doses at days 0, 28 and 56.

    It is administered using PharmaJet, an applicator that ensures painless intradermal vaccine delivery, Zydus Cadila said in a statement.

    The DBT said the interim results from the Phase-III clinical trials in over 28,000 volunteers showed a primary efficacy of 66.6 per cent for symptomatic RT-PCR positive cases.

    This has been the largest vaccine trial so far in India for COVID-19, it said.

    The vaccine had already exhibited robust immunogenicity and tolerability and safety profile in the adaptive Phase I/II clinical trials carried out earlier.

    Both Phase I/II and Phase III clinical trials were monitored by an independent data safety monitoring board, the DBT said.

    At a Union health ministry briefing on May 13, Member (Health), Niti Aayog, V K Paul had estimated that 216 crore vaccine doses would be available for people in the country between August and December.

    Of these, Zydus Cadila will provide five crore doses, he had said.

    Zydus Cadila said it plans to manufacture 10-12 crore doses of ZyCoV-D annually.

    The vaccine has been developed in partnership with the DBT under the Mission COVID Suraksha, the department said.

    “It has been implemented by the BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, a PSU of the DBT) and ZyCoV-D has been supported under the COVID-19 Research Consortia through National Biopharma Mission for preclinical studies, Phase I and Phase II clinical trials and under the Mission COVID Suraksha for Phase III Clinical Trial,” the DBT said.

    The Vaccine Technology Centre, the vaccine research centre of the Zydus group, the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, an autonomous body of the DBT, the Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Pune and the GCLP Lab set up under the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) also played a vital role in this, it added.

    DBT Secretary and BIRAC Chairperson Renu Swarup said the development is an important milestone in the country’s indigenous vaccine development mission and positions India on the global map for novel vaccine development.

    Speaking on the development, Zydus Group chairman Pankaj Patel said, “To create the world’s first DNA vaccine at such a crucial juncture and despite all the challenges is a tribute to the Indian research scientists and their spirit of innovation.