Modi government launches indigenous vaccine for diphtheria and tetanus
What's the story
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has launched India's indigenously developed Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine. The launch was held at the Central Research Institute in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh. The new vaccine will be supplied under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), with an initial batch of 5.5 million doses to be distributed by April this year.
Health milestone
Major step toward ensuring national health security
Nadda described the launch of the Td vaccine as a historic moment for India's public health infrastructure. He stressed that this move is a major step toward ensuring national health security and bolstering self-reliance in the pharmaceutical sector. The minister also emphasized that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the government has set clear goals to achieve self-sufficiency in health and pharmaceuticals.
Global recognition
India has achieved 'Maturity Level 3' as per WHO
Nadda highlighted India's position as the "pharmacy of the world" and one of the top vaccine manufacturers globally. He also noted that India has achieved Maturity Level 3 in the World Health Organization's global benchmarking of regulatory systems, which is a testament to its robust vaccine regulatory framework. The minister credited institutions like CRI for their significant contribution toward these standards.
Vaccine progress
Vaccine development timeline drastically reduced
Nadda also recalled that historically, vaccine and drug development took decades. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India developed two indigenous vaccines in just nine months and administered over 2.2 billion doses including boosters. He also highlighted India's digital transformation in public health delivery with the provision of digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
Global solidarity
Under Vaccine Maitri, India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries
Under the Vaccine Maitri program, India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries, with 48 receiving them free of cost. Nadda stressed that public sector institutions like CRI have bolstered India's capacity to meet domestic and global needs. He also praised CRI for being the first government institute to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, highlighting modernization in public sector vaccine manufacturing units.