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According to India’s Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, India is developing its own influenza vaccine that can be used for the deadly swine flu pandemic.
Mr. Azad said, "Public health challenges will continue to put pressure on our system and we have to be better prepared to respond to these challenges through effective regulation, surveillance, capacity building, supervision and care."
He was speaking to the MPs at the newly formed consultative committee near to the health ministry.
"For the first time in India, an influenza vaccine is being developed in the country that would be effective specifically against the pandemic H1N1," the health minister briefed.
About the pandemic, Azad said, "It highlighted the need for evidence based research and trials that will be suitable for Indian conditions and the Indian people".
As per the reports, India is set to prepare a vaccine for the influenza A virus within a few months. And three Indian companies such as Serum Institute, Panacea and Bharat Biotech have been instructed to produce a specific vaccine in this regard. It is expected to hit markets early next year.
Till now, out of 14,000 infected people, 478 people have died due to swine flu.
About the health research, Azad stressed the need of finding solutions to the common health problems. According to him, the health ministry is also making efforts in improving the health status of the country through the Department for Health Research.
About the deadly H1N1 virus, the minister said, ”his ministry has left no stone unturned to expand laboratory testing facilities in many parts of the country to meet public health challenges more effectively and with more evidence".
"The H1N1 pandemic has helped us realise where we need to step up our efforts and how we need to sensitize the community in facing up to some of these challenges," he added.
