Even though reports from across the world indicate that a swine flu vaccine under trial works even better than expected, India will see no sign of it until next year. The Indian government claims to be considering various effects of the vaccines before ordering them, and is now pinning its hope on indigenously manufactured vaccines which may not be available before April.
“We want effective and inexpensive vaccines from our companies and we want to be a position to supply them to the world,” Dr VM Katoch, secretary, department of health research, ministry of health, told DNA. He said that one Indian manufacturer has started animal trials of the vaccine, while two others will start them next month. “A fourth company (Cadilla) is looking into the genetic approach of making the vaccine,” he said.
When asked about the earliest time by which Indian citizens can hope to be vaccinated, Dr Katoch said it may not be possible before 2010. “We have written to four international pharmaceutical companies for human trials here, and two of them- Novartis and GSK- have agreed,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the US, officials confirmed that just one dose of a vaccine appeared to fully protect recipients against swine flu. US officials expect 50 million doses of swine flu vaccine to reach government warehouses by October 15, and 20 million more to be ready each week after that until 195 million is reached.
Compared to that India’s preparedness for a spike in swine flu expected as the weather gets cooler appears to fall well short. Experts here are still debating if India is better off without a vaccine.
India has identified four strains of the virus, based on which the Serum Institute of India in Pune, Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech and Panacea Biotech in New Delhi are developing vaccines.
“Though, the virus strain should be similar in India and abroad, mutational changes could bring about certain differences,” said Dr Abhay Chaudhary, director, Haffkine Research Institute, Parel. Deputy superintendent of Kasturba hospital Dr Ravi Kadam also said
side-effects are a concern.
