Question : DEVELOPMENT OF VACCINE INSTITUTE BELGAUM

(a) the number of vaccine institutes producing Tissue Culture Anti Rabies Vaccine(TCARV) functioning in the country, location-wise/production-wise;

(b) whether the Neural Tissue Anti Rabies Vaccine (NTARV) developed at the Vaccine Institute, Belgaum (Karnataka) has been banned by WHO and Supreme Court on technical grounds;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government are planning to upgrade the Vaccine Institute, Belgaum for the production of a safe and effective vaccine; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA)

(a): There are three vaccine institutes producing Tissue Culture Anti-rabies Vaccine (TCARV) functioning in the country. They are - Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor and Human Biologicals Institute, Udhagamandalam in the public sector whose installed production capacity are 10 lakh doses and 17.5 lakh doses respectively. In the private sector, Chiron Behring Vaccine Ltd., Ankaleshwar, Gujarat has an installed production capacity of 75 lakh doses.

(b)to(e): Supreme Court of India directed the Central Government to look into the issue whether the production of neurogenic sheep anti-rabies vaccine is harmful to human beings and take appropriate decision in the matter. It is further stated that WHO does not ban any vaccine. As for Neural tissue Anti Rabies Vaccine (NTARV), WHO suggests that safer tissue culture vaccines are available and these are to be preferred.

Vaccine Institute, Belgaum is a State Government Vaccine Institute, and the State Government is the appropriate authority to decide for its upgradation.