The Hindu : National : JE vaccine to come from China

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Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007
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JE vaccine to come from China

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The China National Biotec Group (CNBG), Government owned vaccine manufacturer, will supply more than 20 million doses of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine to India this year.

The vaccine will be used in the 22 JE endemic districts of the country. A campaign to protect children from the disease is to be launched in these districts.

This was discussed at a meeting between a CNBG delegation and Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss here on Tuesday. President and CEO of the CNBG, Wang Lifeng, led the delegation.

Life-threatening disease

Japanese encephalitis is a life-threatening disease in China, India, Nepal and Korea. The Chengdu Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of CNBG, developed the vaccine SA 14-14-2. It has been exported to Korea, Nepal and other Asian countries in the past.

In February 2006, the vaccine was licensed in India and 13.5 million doses were supplied by the institute to India in the first six months. About 10 million children between one and 15 years were vaccinated.

In 2005-06, the Ministry procured 135-lakh doses of the vaccine worth Rs.13 crore and the following year it procured 213.30-lakh doses worth Rs.20 crore.

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