ZyCoV-D VACCINE              

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Context

• Union Health Secretary asked seven States to identify high-priority districts where the three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine could be launched initially.

About

• It is the world’s first and India’s indigenously developed DNA based vaccine for COVID-19to be administered in humans including Children and adults 12 years and above.
• Developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology, under the ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’and implemented by BIRAC, ZyCoV-D has been supported under COVID-19 Research Consortia through National Biopharma Mission for Preclinical studies.
• This 3 dose vaccine which 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 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.

About DBT

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, promotes and improves biotechnology development in India through its development and implementation in agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, the environment, and industry.

About BIRAC

• A non-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), has been set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
• It acts as an interface agency to enhance and encourage the evolving biotechnology industry to implement strategic research and development activities in regards to the product development needs of the Nation.

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