A delegation representing the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) led by Madam Wang Lifeng, President and CEO of the organization along with four officials met the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss today in New Delhi.
The CNBG is Government owned, the largest vaccine manufacturer and supplier in China. Among other things, the delegation discussed the supply live of JE vaccine in order to protect Indian children from Japanese Encephalitis.Japanese Encephalitis is a life threatening disease to children in endemic countries in Asia, including China, India, Nepal, Korea, etc. Chengdu Institute of Biological Products (CNBG Chengdu Institute), one of subsidiaries of CNBG, developed a live attenuated Japanese Encephalitis vaccine SA14-14-2 (hereinafter referred as JE vaccine) and has supplied it in China since 1990.
This vaccine has also been exported to Korea, Nepal and other Asian countries in recent years and protected millions of children against the life threatening Japanese Encephalitis in those countries.
In February 2006, JE vaccine was licensed in India and 13.5 million doses of JE vaccine were supplied by CNBG Chengdu Institute to India in the first half of 2006. About 10 million Indian children between 1 to 15 years were vaccinated with JE vaccine in order to be protected from Japanese Encephalitis. The mass JE vaccination campaign were organized and monitored by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, in a very efficient and effective manner.
In 2007, the vaccination campaign for JE vaccine will be expanded to 22 districts in India and CNBG Chengdu Institute will supply more than 20 million doses of JE vaccine to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Since last two years (05-06 and 06-07), the Ministry is procuring JE vaccine SA14-14-2 for JE vaccination campaign from Chengdu Institute of Biological Products on single source procurement basis.
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