The Chennai-based Save Children Movement (SCM) is organizing a national seminar on March 14 to discuss the issues arising out of the suspension of 3 PSU vaccine manufacturing units and a possible shortage of vaccines for immunization programme.

The Seminar is sponsored by Tamil Nadu Health Development Association (TNHDA), a Non Governmental Organisation comprising doctors of all sections and health activists working for health awareness to the common people.

The seminar will be attended by leading politicians of Tamil Nadu including Vaiko (V Gopalaswami), the general-secretary, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), T K Ram Raja of CPM and prominent leaders from AIADMK and CPI, said Dr Rex Sargunam, the secretary of TNHDA.

Eminent doctors who are participating the programme are Dr Jacob John, an expert on Immunology and former president of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Dr P Sivanandam, Retd director Public Health, Govt of TN, Dr Rex Sargunam, Retd director ICH, Chennai and Dr Chandra, Retd director, Stanley Medical College, Chennai. Besides doctors from other states, leaders of labour organizations representing the closed three vaccine-manufacturing units and other trade unions are expected to join the programme, said Dr Rex.

Members of SCM and TNHDA said the union health minister is reiterating that his ministry has not closed down the units but only suspended the production. But even after one year of closing, the government has not taken any concrete step to restart the production or adopt measures to implement cGMP norms. This will help only the private firms, they said, rather than saving the children of the country.

According to medical experts the halt of vaccine production in 3 PSU units in January 2008 has led a few private companies to monopolize the production and supply of the essential vaccines required for the universal immunization program. According to them the private companies are not at all interested to supply the vaccines in the conventional price system. Informed sources from the sector said the companies which are producing and supplying essential vaccines for the immunization programme of the country have asked the government to hike the procurement price as they are unable to bear the cost.

Eminent doctors and immunological experts said if the private firms are entrusted with the responsibility of supplying vaccines to the government programmes permanently, they will go for manufacturing combination vaccines to replace the existing system to a single shot combination vaccine. Such vaccines are highly expensive and the government will have to bear a huge burden. This will also likely to force millions of country's children remain out of the Immunization Programme. In the place of Rs 3.30 for three doses of DTP, the government has to spend more than Rs 600, if it accepts the private firms' suggestion of combination vaccines.