Move on anti-typhoid vaccine flayed

“We only learnt about it officially at the State conference of paediatricians in November last year,” Dr Jayant Navrange, president, Maharashtra branch of the Academy rued, while quoting the British Medical Journal which stated that the whole celled vaccine (TAB) was more effective (73 per cent) than the oral vaccine (Typhoral 51 per cent) or the injectable vaccine (Typhim Vi or Tyvax 55 per cent).

The TAB vaccine against typhoid was manufactured at Haffkine institute in Mumbai and Kasauli. However, the production was stopped as the Deputy Director of Health Services, Government of India, stated that the vaccine was ineffective, Agharkhedkar said. Typhoid fever is an endemic water borne disease and there is a spurt of typhoid cases all over India specially in the summer.

With the typhoid fever becoming increasingly resistant to standard drugs, it is very surprising that the cheap vaccine which costs fifty paise has disappeared. If more whole celled, acetone killed vaccine is available for our children, it will definitely bring down the incidence of typhoid fever. Moreover due to the resistance to standard drugs, the treatment needs hospitalisation for at least five-ten days with costly injectable antibiotics. The cost of therapy can go up to Rs 10,000, he added.

Approximately there would be a requirement of two million vaccine doses per annum. However, instead of making available the cheap vaccine the poor and deprived sections, costly ones were being introduced especially from countries including Germany, Belgium, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Italy. The Association has time and again written to the authorities including the Prime Minister, but to no avail, Agarkhedkar said.