Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Anti-rabies vaccine shortage hits hospitals

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Government hospitals in the district, including General Hospital, are plagued by the shortage of anti-rabies vaccine, caused by the increasing incidence of dog bites in and around the district.

As vaccine shortage is acute in the hospitals in the periphery also, all cases of dog bites in the district are now turning up at General Hospital, where over 150 cases are being attended to daily. "The hospital's local purchase budget is hardly enough to meet this daily demand - about Rs.33,000 daily - to provide vaccines to all dog-bite victims. At present, we are using funds from the hospital development society to buy the vaccine for at least those who can produce a below-the-poverty-line card," a General Hospital official said.

The procedural delays in procuring the vaccine have also affected the supply. As dog bites are a daily affair, continuous supply of the vaccine should be ensured throughout the year, the official said.

The Health Department is already buying anti-rabies vaccine estimated at Rs.5 crores annually and the demand has been increasing every year.

An estimated 3.5 lakh vials of anti-rabies vaccine were sold across the State last year.

The Government has been purchasing the costly human deploid cell vaccine (Rs.300 per dose) in place of inexpensive anti-rabies vaccines such as `Abhayarab' and `Rabipur' (approximately Rs.150), quoting safety issues.

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