Vaccine policy under scanner for favouring manufacturers
The draft national vaccine policy, which is supposed to lay down the framework for the introduction of new vaccines in the immunisation programmes, has come under scanner for its tilt in favour of vaccine manufacturers rather than sound public health.
Experts feel the policy is designed to guard the interests of vaccine manufacturers. The draft states: "During setting up of the policy framework, the industry may be provided a channel to voice their opinion and experience and their concern could be utilised in framing the policy". It also talks of an "independent and speedy" redressal mechanism, if a decision has been made to the industry's detriment.
The government may also enter into "advance market commitments" with vaccine manufacturers, meeting their long pending demands, the draft, prepared by former director general of the Indian Council of Medial Research Dr N. K Ganguly, states.
The draft states: "Mechanisms need to be evolved where the risk of the manufacturers is cushioned by appropriate assistance from the government. It should be mandatory for the government to support such development with advance market commitments and honour commitments."
This, experts point out, could mean the government should commit to buy certain quantity of a new vaccine even before it is tested.
"Advance market commitments are basically to guarantee market for a new vaccine. It is to be binding even if the vaccine produced has poor efficacy or its market price is much lower than the committed price," Y. Madhavi from the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies, says.
The arrangement was first used for pneumococcal vaccine research. This vaccine, costingRs.1200 per child, prevents four cases of cough and cold for every 1,000 babies vaccinated, according to Dr Jacob Puliyel, member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. This means the cost of vaccinating 1,000 children to prevent four cases of pneumonia isRs.12 lakh, while treating pneumonia in four children with WHOrecommended drugs costs onlyRs.40.
Instead of giving guarantees to manufacturers, the government should come out with a plan to transparently evaluate the need for any vaccine based on demonstrable cost-effectiveness and benefits of in terms of absolute risk reduction, according to the Alliance Against Conflicts of Interests, a group of health experts.
While basic, life-saving vaccines are not being made available under the Universal Immunisation Programme to 53 per cent of the population, the new policy intends to introduce new vaccines like pneumococcal, pentavalent and rotavirus in national programme. This is being done to benefit the industry, the Alliance says.
The draft itself is a result of a directive from the Delhi High Court issued in response to a PIL on introduction of new vaccines without sufficient evidence.
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