India to procure more JE vaccine from China

New Delhi, June 12 (UNI) The Indian government will procure more Japanese Encephalitis vaccine from China this year to protect children from the fatal disease.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss discussed the issue with a delegation representing the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) led by Madam Wang Lifeng, President and CEO of the organisation, here.

The CNBG is Chinese Government owned, the largest vaccine manufacturer and supplier in China.

Japanese Encephalitis is a life threatening disease to children in endemic countries in Asia, including China, India, Nepal and Korea, where it claims thousands of lives every year.

Chengdu Institute of Biological Products (CNBG Chengdu Institute), one of subsidiaries of CNBG, developed a live attenuated Japanese Encephalitis vaccine SA14-14-2 and has supplied it in China since 1990. This vaccine has also been exported to Korea, Nepal and other Asian countries in recent years and protected millions of children against the life threatening Japanese Encephalitis in those countries.

In February 2006, JE vaccine was licensed in India and 13.5 million doses of JE vaccine were supplied by CNBG Chengdu Institute in the first half of 2006. About 10 million Indian children between 1 to 15 years were vaccinated with JE vaccine to protected from Japanese Encephalitis. The mass JE vaccination campaign were organised and monitored by the Ministry in a very efficient and effective manner.

The government is planning to expand the vaccination campaign for JE vaccine to 22 districts in India this year and CNBG Chengdu Institute will supply more than 20 million doses of JE vaccine to Ministry of Health.

Since last two years, the Ministry is procuring JE vaccine SA14-14-2 for JE vaccination campaign from Chengdu Institute of Biological Products on single source procurement.

UNI