22 September,2009 08:06 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Serum Institute of India's research on swine flu vaccine will soon move on to testing on humans
Even as the world's first swine flu vaccination drive (Vaccine status abroad) began yesterday, Pune's Serum Institute of India Ltd (SIIL) said their research on a H1N1 vaccine was still being done on a war footing. After carrying out vaccine tests on eggs and animals, SIIL is now getting ready to test the H1N1 vaccine on human beings.
The institute, which has been working on the vaccine for the past two months, will conduct the first human tests from November.
Dr Suresh Jadhav, executive director, SIIL, said, "The research is progressing satisfactorily. At present, we are carrying out tests on animals. This phase will be completed by the end of October. We will then be testing groups of different sizesu00a0consisting of 30, 60, 90 and 100 persons, as per laboratory prescribed norms."
Going strong
He added that the US and UK-based private laboratories had come out with the vaccine before them, as they had received the strains earlier. But the Indian organisations working on this hadn't slacked off, as the country desperately needs affordable vaccines in large amounts.
"We are developing injectable vaccine and are working within the estimated timeframe, so that there are no lacunae in the final product," he said. A team of 16 SIIL scientists is working day and night to get the vaccine ready by March 2010.
Only desi options
Meanwhile, Dr Ashok Mehta, joint director of health, Maharashtra, said that the vaccines being developed in India were still our best bet. "So far, there are no plans of importing the vaccines in the international market.
Since each country will put its own requirements on top, the quantity that we will be able to procure will not be enough for even 1/10th of our population.
"Apart from availability, there are several other problems. India will have to compete with nations like America in the international bidding for it. This makes it very difficult to get the vaccines in the international markets to India immediately."
