In India, the health ministry has said the vaccine will be allowed to be administered on citizens only after clinical trials (the side effects of influenza vaccines include paralysis.
India is planning to procure 15 lakh doses of swine flu vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Novartis. The vaccine will be available by January and will be used mainly for doctors, paramedics and rapid response teams directly involved with patients, and scientists handling patients’ samples for H1N1 testing.
In the US on Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the swine flu vaccine — a long-anticipated step — ordering 195 million doses for now (the vaccination programme will start next month).
And China licensed an institute in Shanghai to begin producing a single-dose vaccine, raising the number of such manufacturers in the country to three (the institute will produce three million doses by October and 10 million by the yearend; China has approved free vaccination for people, who need to be above three years).
In India, the health ministry has said the vaccine will be allowed to be administered on citizens only after clinical trials (the side effects of influenza vaccines include paralysis, according to Dr VM Katoch, director, Indian Council for Medical Research).
Serum Institute begins animal trials of H1N1 vaccine, While the government has agreed to conduct bridge studies with GSK on the efficacy of the vaccine on the Indian population, a formal deal with Novartis is yet to be signed.
Recently, GSK invited India to participate in the second and third stages of trials on humans. Although India wanted a trial size of 6,000-7,000 people, it agreed for a bridge study on 400-600 people to fast-track the process.
Health ministry officials also said that Indian pharmaceutical firms are at an advanced stage of preparing the vaccine. “International vaccines will be available in the global market by January, while our vaccine will be ready by March,” said Dr Katoch. He said the Indian firms will also supply the vaccine - to be cheaper compared to the American one — to the World Health Organisation for other countries.
The government’s priority for immunisation, apart from medical and scientific staff, will be high-risk populations like pregnant women, people living with or caring for babies, and adults with chronic immune problems.
With agency inputs
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