Intervet rubbishes NECC allegations

Pune, Feb 23 (UNI) Having a stockpile of Avian Influenza vaccines was a ''fortunate coincidence'', said Managing Director, Intervet India Pvt Ltd, Dr Lino Camponovo while clarifying on allegations by the National Egg Coordination Committee.

Dr Camonovo told reporters that NECC's ''unscientific allegations'' state that MNCs are eager to sell their anti-flu drugs. It is completely baseless as Intervet never made any self promotion of this vaccine with Government. Only on specific request from Government of India, in November, Intervet has done the needful as a responsible corporate citizen,'' he said.

The said company which has made this allegation through NECC needs to understand that Intervets's business interests also very much lies in the well being of the Poultry Industry but definitely not at the cost of national interest, Dr Camonovo maintained.

Another allegation by NECC was that India did not have laboratories to check whether the vaccine is live or killed and the vaccine itself caused Avian Influenza, Dr Camonovo said, noting the allegation is baseless as intervet AI vaccine is an inactivated vaccine wherein there is no live virus and hence cannot spread the disease.

The vaccines of Intervet -- a Holland based Company manufacturing and developing vaccines for Avian Influenza, has not been banned in the Netherlands as has been charged by National Egg Coordination Committee(NECC), he said. The company had offered Dutch Authorities free supply of AI vaccine to vaccinate all birds in the Dutch Zoo which was welcomed and executed by the Dutch Authrities. Further, for vaccinating other birds, Netherlands would require approval from EU, therefore there is no ban on the vaccine in Europe, he said.

Further, there was a difference between vaccination and vaccine.

The vaccine was never banned, and Intervet is the only company to hold a license. The outbreak of bird flu in Netherlands three years ago, was controlled by Dutch authorities in accordance with OIE guidelines and EU directives which did not forsee vaccinations at that time. Only Intervet's vaccine was used to protect the Zoo birds. The vaccine has proved its efficacy in Italy and Hong Kong during bird flu outbreaks, he claimed.

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