NEW DELHI: Nearly 250 deaths due to rabies were reported in the country this year from 18 states, with Karnataka reporting the highest number of 32 deaths, followed by 24 deaths each from Maharashtra and West Bengal, the Union Health Ministry told the Lok Sabha on Friday.
While Tamil Nadu reported 22 deaths, followed by 21 deaths each from Kerala and Telangana, both Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh recorded 19 deaths each, followed by Delhi and Bihar. Both the states reported 18 deaths each due to rabies, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said in the written reply.
The ministry said some deaths have occurred in persons who had been administered post-exposure prophylaxis in Kerala and were sent for repeat quality testing at Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli.
“All the tested batches have been reported to be conforming to required quality standards,” she said to a question on the testing of samples and quality of vaccines that lead to deaths in Kerala, despite being administered to the victims.
The deaths of at least six victims, who had taken the anti-rabies vaccine, had triggered a major debate in Kerala over the efficacy of the vaccine. The state reported nearly 2 million dog bites. The central government had dispatched a team following the furore.
The minister said that as per information provided by the Kerala government, all vaccines and immunoglobulin batches had been tested for quality before delivery.
Pawar said the ministry had launched the National Rabies Control since the 12th Five-Year Plan for prevention and control of rabies. The National Rabies Control Program has been implemented in the entire country (Except in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep).
The minister said various initiatives had been taken, including procurement of an Anti-Rabies Vaccine for animal bite victims through the National Free Drug Initiative, capacity building through training of medical officers and health workers and strengthening surveillance of human rabies and dog bite cases.
She said all the vaccines are tested for standard quality and released by Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli.
On what steps the government is taking to ensure the availability of vaccines in the country, she said, all manufacturers have been asked to ensure that the manufacturing of ARV is carried out with total capacity and the first preference may be accorded to meet domestic requirements including government institution supplies in the country.