Test all batches of polio vaccines for type 2 strain: drugs regulator

NEW DELHI: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Wednesday asked the Central Drug Laboratory (CDL) at Kasauli to test all batches of polio vaccines for type 2 strain to rule out any possibility of contamination, two people aware of the matter said.

Batches of polio vaccine from all the companies are to be tested to rule out contamination, drug regulator Dr S Eswara Reddy has stressed in a letter sent on Wednesday to CDL, which is the national control laboratory for testing of immunobiologicals meant for human use in India.

“It has been asked that along with P1 and P3 strain, all the batches of biovalent vaccine be tested for identification of type 2 also,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity.

Traces of polio type 2 virus, a strain known to have been eradicated from India, were found in some batches of oral polio vaccine (OPV) manufactured by the Ghaziabad-based Bio-med Pvt. Ltd, indicating the use of a vaccine containing type 2 poliovi- rus, despite such vaccines having been phased out globally in April 2016.

A three-member team constituted by the drug regulator also started its investigation into the issue on Wednesday.

India switched to biovalent vaccine (BOPV) from trivalent vaccine (TOPV) following certification of global eradication of type 2 wild polio virus. Removing type 2 component from polio vaccine was done with the aim of minimizing the risk of vaccinederived poliovirus type 2.

The Union health ministry on Monday said that there was no need to panic and steps have been taken to deal with the aftermath of vaccine contamination.

A THREEMEMBER TEAM CONSTITUTED BY DCGI STARTED PROBE INTO THE ISSUE WEDNESDAY