Suppliers told to increase production of H1N1 vaccine

Faced with an acute shortage of nasal syringes for delivering the intra-nasal H1N1 vaccine, Nasovac, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has asked all its suppliers to increase production capacity with immediate effect.

The company went into a supply shortage situation last week with nasal syringes running out of stock. Consequently, suppliers were asked to increase their production capacity at the earliest, Adar Poonawalla, co-owner and executive director SII said.  Nasovac kit is sold for Rs158 each.

Since April, a total of 1,373 cases have tested positive for H1N1 in Pune district with 135 deaths of which more than 90 occurred in the past month. The demand for the vaccine has been coming in from Pune and other parts of the country.

Ever since its launch on July 14, the company sold over 10 lakh doses of the vaccine while another 5 lakh doses have been distributed free of cost to different agencies.

The US-based Becton-Dickinson and Company, city-based Taurus Bio Medical Aids Private Limited and Hindustan Syringes and Medical Devices Private Limited, Delhi, are among the suppliers who have been asked to increase production and ensure faster delivery.

According to Poonawalla, Serum has sold nearly 10 lakh doses so far and estimates that the demand could rise to nearly 20 lakh doses every month from now.

Serum’s head of vaccine production unit, Dr Rajeev Dhere, acknowledged that there was a shortage which has since been addressed.