Desi vaccine against swine flu developed

In a major advancement in influenza science, India is ready with its first indigenous vaccine against swine flu. Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has developed an H1N1 vaccine—not a painful syringe shot but a harmless nasal spray—which can be taken by anybody above the age of three except pregnant women. To cost around Rs 150, SII will apply to the drug controller general for licensure of its product next week. Scientists, who are presently completing tabulation of results from the vaccine’s phase-III clinical trial, say it is safe and effective with side-effects being runny nose and a bout of sneezing. Interestingly, the breakthrough comes exactly a year after India reported its first case of swine flu (May 15, 2009). SII’s executive director (operations) Adar Poonawala said, “Our nasal mist vaccine is now ready. We will apply for licensure next week. It had no side-effects which are synonymous to injectible vaccines like fever, swelling or convulsions.” Poonawala added, “India now has the capability to make its very own seasonal influenza vaccines. With the technology now in place, all we have to do is switch the pandemic H1N1 strain with the seasonal flu virus.” The vaccine will be delivered into your nose through a device fitted on top of a syringe. A quick spray in each nostril, the major route that the flu virus takes to enter, and the body develops antibodies to protect against H1N1. “It is a live vaccine containing weakened forms of the H1N1 virus designed not to cause the flu. The strain was given to us by the WHO once H1N1 was declared a pandemic,” said SII’s H1N1 vaccine project director Dr Rajeev Dhere. “We are tabulating the final results. But the vaccine has passed both the safety and immunogenecity trials,” SII’s additional medical director Dr Prasad said. “Usually a vaccine test takes years. But as this was a pandemic virus and we needed a vaccine urgently, Indian companies were given permission for Phase 1 to Phase 3 trials at one go,” drug controller general of India Dr Surinder Singh had earlier said.