Supreme court directs Centre to check efficacy of anti-rabies vaccine

The Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, checked the quality of Intra Dermal Rabies Vaccines (IDRVs) and serum based on the request of the state government.
Image for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)
Image for representational purpose only. ( Express Illustration)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Supreme Court has directed the Central government to constitute an independent committee to study the efficacy of anti-rabies vaccines. The directive was issued by Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice C T Ravikumar based on a petition filed by Kerala Pravasi Association. The petitioner sought the court’s intervention on account of the number of deaths that have occurred despite timely vaccination in the country. In Kerala, five people died of rabies after completing the vaccination.

The petitioner also sought the constitution of an independent expert committee to study the effectiveness of the rabies veterinary vaccine administered to dogs in India, given the rise in the number of rabies cases. According to the health department, the number of dog bites alone increased from 60,000 in 2013 to 1.37 lakh in 2016.

It became 2.2 lakh in 2021 and has crossed the 2-lakh mark in the first eight months of 2022. The petitioner also sought the issuance of a directive to the Union of India to give wide publicity and to ensure proper and uniform implementation of the National Guidelines for Rabies Prophylaxis-2019 with appropriate revisions from time to time as per the latest developments and scientific evidence endorsed by the World Health Organisation.

The Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, checked the quality of Intra Dermal Rabies Vaccines (IDRVs) and serum based on the request of the state government.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com