Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer has announced receipt of approval from Drugs Controller General of India and State Drug Control Administration for manufacturing of measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.
This is the outcome of the Indo-Vietnam partnership, where IIL partnered with the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals, also called Polyvac, Vietnam.
Measles causes severe, sometimes permanent, complications including pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and even death. Measles is caused by a virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person and spreads easily through breathing, coughing, and sneezing. There is no specific antiviral drug available to treat measles. The best way is to prevent measles through vaccination. The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect people from measles. Measles kills nearly 50,000 children every year in India. As there is not enough evidence to suggest that mumps is a disease of public health importance, MR vaccine is being used instead of MMR vaccine in India for routine immunization.
India, along with other WHO Southeast Asia Region member countries, have resolved to eliminate measles and control rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). In this direction, the ministry of health & family welfare has been running MR vaccination campaigns in the age group of 9 months to less than 15 years in a phased manner across the nation. The measles-rubella campaign is a part of global efforts to reduce illness and deaths due to measles and rubella/CRS in the country. Measles immunization directly contributes to the reduction of under-five child mortality, and in combination with rubella vaccine, it will control rubella and prevent CRS.
Under an exclusive agreement, Polyvac, Vietnam will supply the measles vaccine component to IIL. Rubella vaccine components will be produced by IIL to manufacture a combined MR vaccine. This Live Attenuated MR vaccine adds to the list of several other vaccines that IIL supplies to Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of India. This vaccine has been proven through extensive human clinical trials to be immunogenic and safe for people of 9 months to 49 years.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, managing director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said,
