BackCentre to curb export of anti-rabies vaccines owing to 'acute shortage'
The restriction on the export will be imposed under Section 26 B of the Drugs and Cosmetics ActThe move is likely to affect companies like Serum Institute of India, Indian Immunologicals Limited, Human Biological, Zydus Cadila, and Bharat Biotech
PremiumVaccine makers exporting anti-rabies vaccine to other countries will not be able to do it anymore, as the health ministry is considering restricting export of anti-rabies vaccines following concerns of dwindling supplies in India. In case the manufacturers wish to export, a “special permission" will be required from the health ministry, two people aware of the matter said.
The restriction on the export will be imposed under Section 26 B of the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act. “The manufacturers will be allowed to export vaccine only after getting necessary permission from the health ministry," said a senior official in the health ministry. A notification to this effect is likely to come soon.
The move is likely to affect companies like Serum Institute of India, Indian Immunologicals Limited, Human Biological, Zydus Cadila, and Bharat Biotech, which manufacture and export anti rabies vaccines.
The decision, according to another ministry official, has been taken following “acute shortage" of the vaccine in India. “There has been a vaccine shortage of about 50 per cent or more in most states," he further said, requesting anonymity. According to the minutes of the meeting held on 1 April, apart from Delhi, states like Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur are facing shortage. Mint has reviewed the minutes of the meeting.
According to the same official, Indian companies do not participate in domestic tenders and prefer diverting the vaccines for export it as they get better price abroad, resulting in a crisis situation in India. The minutes of the meeting held on 1 April further go on to say that in Delhi none of the pharmaceuticals participated in tender since 6-8 months. Consequently, the government decided to impose restriction on export of this life saving vaccine.
Indian firms supply rabies vaccine to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Turkey and some African nations, among others. Significantly, India accounts for 36% of rabies deaths in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has set a target of eliminating rabies from South-East Asia by 2020.
The government also plans to ask states to bring the vaccine under the list of essential medicines to ensure its availability in adequate quantity and assured quality.
Another meeting was held by the directorate general of health services on 3 April with the manufacturers, who have been asked to prioritise the supply to the domestic market before exporting the vaccine.
The vaccine is available domestically for RS 250, while the same dose costs $30 abroad.
According to WHO dogs contribute upto 99 per cent of all rabies transmitted to humans while one can develop the disease if bitten or scratched by by a rabid mammal too.
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