Though the resumption of production in the three public sector vaccine-manufacturing units has stabilised the prices of vaccines procured from the private companies by the Government, a new controversy has come up about the rise of deaths due to adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI).


Allegations have been raised that the number of deaths due to AEFI rose as the result of the closure of PSUs involved in the production of vaccines. After some public interest organisations took up the matter with the health ministry, the issue was raised in the Parliament also recently.


According to official sources, in the year 2010, 138 AEFI deaths have been reported compared to 116 in 2009 and 111 in 2008. “The increase is unrelated to closure of Public Sector Undertakings involved in production of vaccines and is due to strengthening of AEFI reporting system, publication and dissemination of revised guidelines, training of personnel and increased sensitization,” sources said, denying the allegations.


The Centre had suspended manufacturing licenses of these three vaccine manufacturing units (Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Pasteur Institute of India at Coonoor, and BCG Vaccine Laboratory of Chennai) on January 15, 2008 on the grounds that the units were not in compliance with GMP norms. However, after the public pressure and lots of criticism, the government set up a committee to study the ways out. The suspensions were revoked on February 26, 2010, based on the recommendations of this panel and gave time to the units to go GMP compliant.


Meanwhile the rise in the prices of vaccines has been arrested after the PSUs resumed functions. With the public sector units supplying vaccines at no-profit-no-loss criteria, the prices of vaccines – BCG, DPT, DT and TT – have been stable from 2004-05 to 2007-08. But in the year 2008-09, and especially in 2009-10, the prices of vaccines have nearly doubled with the price of BCG rising from Rs.13.00 per vial of 10 doses in 2007-08 to Rs. 17.50 in 2008-09 and to Rs.27.85 in 2009-10.


Similarly, DPT vaccine was earlier procured from the other public/private sector units at the rate of Rs.13.50 per vial of 10 doses to Rs.13.40 from Indian Immunological Limited (IIL), Rs.14.37 from Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune and Rs.16.88 from Biological E (BE) Ltd, Hyderabad during 2008-09. While, in 2009-10 the price per vial of 10 doses for DPT rose to Rs.23.59 from IIL and BE, and Rs.23.49 from Shanta. Similarly, the price of the DT vaccine rose from Rs.9.14 per vial of 10 doses in 2007-08 to Rs.12.00 (IIL) and Rs.13.85 (BE) for the quantities procured for the year 2008-09. For TT vaccine, the price per vial of 10 doses was Rs.6.20 in 2007-08 which rose to Rs.8.40 (IIL) and Rs.11.85 (BE) for the quantities procured for the year 2008-09 which again shot up to Rs.17.69 for the quantities procured from IIL, BE and SII for the year 2009-10, according to sources.


However, during the year of 2010-11, the BCG prices did not shoot up as happened earlier. From Rs.27.85, it rose just to Rs.28.6 per vial. Likewise, the price of DPT stood at Rs.23.53 during the last financial year, against Rs.23.59 in the previous year. The price of TT came down to Rs.16.45 from Rs.17.69 during the same period.