The Hindu : National : “Vaccines were vetted by Central research institute”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

“Vaccines were vetted by Central research institute”

HYDERABAD: Authorities of the city-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), the vaccine-maker whose measles vaccine produced by its subsidiary, Human Biologicals Institute (HBI), at the Gachibowli facility claimed the lives of four infants in Tamil Nadu, have maintained that the vaccines supplied to Tamil Nadu were ‘vetted’ by the Central Research Institute (CRI) of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.

The authorities were guarded in their response to the Tamil Nadu development and asserted that they would rather wait for some communication from the State before starting any investigation.

Awaiting results

When contacted, the IIL’s Human Vaccine Division General Manager, Dinar Kumar, said they were waiting for ‘conclusive results’ from the investigation taken up by Tamil Nadu health authorities.

It was only in April last year that the IIL had received commercial approval from the Government of India to manufacture measles vaccine.

“We do not know how the Tamil Nadu authorities are investigating the incident. Nobody from Tamil Nadu has till now contacted us. Our facilities meet WHO standards. The vaccines produced by us are sent to CRI, Kasauli, for testing before being released to any governmental agency,” Mr. Kumar maintained. The HBI is also supplying measles vaccine to other States through the Government of India.

The vaccine manufacturing facility of IIL at Gachibowli was recently set up to produce human vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis, measles and pertussis. Incidentally, the IIL has been supplying Tamil Nadu anti-rabies vaccine for the past six-years.

Any chance of vaccines getting contaminated arises during handling and storage. While transporting, the vaccines have to be maintained or kept at temperatures ranging between two and eight degree Centigrade till they are administered.

The challenge here is not to break the cold-chain, because once it breaks, the chances of contamination are more.

“This is known as cold-chain procedure and a break here would lead to contamination. Vaccines are kept in custom-made thermocol boxes and sent from the manufacturing unit to the warehouse, where vaccines are stored.

From the warehouse, it’s the responsibility of local health authorities to maintain the vaccines in the stipulated temperatures.

“The vaccines supplied to various State governments come under the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI). Designated government officials under EPI visit our facility to pick samples from a batch and send them to CRI, Kasauli. We can’t release the vaccines till we get a nod from CRI,” Mr. Kumar said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National