NEW DELHI: India's first Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D for those above 12 is expected to receive emergency approval this week. The needle-free Covid vaccine is of Ahmedabad based Zydus Cadila's Company. It is a drug that is injected into the body's skin cells using a jet injector.

Currently, the Indian government has authorized five vaccines for Covid-19 which include, Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V, Moderna's vaccine, and J&J's single-dose vaccine.

ZyCoV-D is a plasmid DNA vaccine that uses a non-replicating version of a DNA molecule called plasmid, which helps prepare a harmless version of the spike protein present on the SARS-COV-2 membrane.

Unlike the other COVID vaccines currently being administered in India, ZyCOV-D will be a three dose regimen. According to Zydus Cadila, the three doses of ZyCoV-D are to be administered on day 0, day 28, and day 56. Reportedly, the company is also working on a two-dose vaccine.

Unlike any other COVID vaccine, Zydus Cadila is currently seeking approval for its needle-free vaccine, which will use the ‘Jet Injector' technique to administer the three doses. Rather than injecting the drug by piercing into the skin, the vaccine will use high-pressure to inject the liquid directly through the upper layer of the skin and into the underlying tissues.

While it may seem like a new discovery into the world of vaccines, it is an old technique, first demonstrated in 1866. This method of vaccination was also used during the 1960s for smallpox vaccination drives.