The dream project of the Union health ministry to establish an integrated Vaccine Park in Chennai will be materialized in another two years, it is learnt. Hindustan Latex Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram has been designated to execute the project.

The director of the Pasteur Institute at Coonoor, who claims to have put up the proposal for the Vaccine Park project, says that it is not possible in two years. He feels that to finish the work of the Park in two or three years is going to tough because to complete even a single facility will require at least three to four years.

The proposed Park, expected to come up at Chengalpaattu near here, will be the sole organization for the production and supply of quality vaccines to meet the country's total demand for the Universal Immunization Program (UIP).

Along with the Vaccine Park, a Medipark is also proposed to be established. This may take another two years to complete, a deputy director in charge of vaccine division, HLL told Pharmabiz.

"First we want to complete the integrated Vaccine Park. It will be ready for operation in two years. Two phases of work are planned. The first phase will cover filling and packing of the land. In the second phase, facility for a fully integrated vaccine production will have to be set up. Along with this, the work of Medi Park will commence. But it requires more time than what is needed for the Vaccine Park. To set up the infrastructure facilities alone for the MediPark, two years will be required" he said while speaking about the project.

To establish the Vaccine Park, hundred acres of land has been allotted. The legal transfer of the land is yet to be completed. But the process will be completed within next 45 days, he said. The transfer will be on a 99-year lease.

"For the MediPark another 350 acres of land has been acquired. MediPark will be like a Medical Industrial Park where all kinds of health care devices, medical and diagnostic equipment will be manufactured on international standards. For both the projects an amount of Rs.500 crore is expected to be spent," the deputy manager of HLL said.

What persuaded HLL to undertake a mega project like this, is the success of two pharma products such as Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) for prevention of pregnancy and PVC blood bags that the company had started manufacturing a decade ago using state-of-the-art machinery and technology.

In the upcoming project, apart from manufacturing the primary vaccines except polio (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Measles and BCG), the Park will produce the new generation vaccines also, the officer said.

Dr Elangeswaran, the director of the Pasteur Institute of India at Coonoor, said that the immunization program in India is one of the largest in the world in terms of quantities of vaccines utilized and number of beneficiaries. A new establishment is therefore required for running programme effectively with adequate national vaccine security system.

Besides, the world is now experiencing vaccine shortage due to the stoppage of production of some UIP vaccines by major pharmaceutical companies.

He said the Vaccine Park would comprise of Bio-Service Centre and other utility facilities with state- of -the- art laboratories. To manufacture Rabies Vaccines, both liquid and freeze-dried, and newer vaccines against diseases like Rubella, Mumps, Viral hepatitis, Herpes, Meningitis, Papilloma and Typhoid, most modern facilities will be erected in the park. There will be a Central Quality Control Laboratory for all the vaccines manufactured and imported including Antisera's.

As per the original plan, the Park will be a full-fledged establishment to manufacture and supply UIP and Non-UIP Vaccines. The ultimate objective of the government is to make the Park a regional and global centre in the field of vaccines and immunization and also to make it an excellent R&D centre to meet the challenges of any disease emergencies.