Hyderabad: Indian Immunologicals Ltd. (IIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and a biopharmaceutical company in India, launched India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine, ‘Havisure’. The vaccine represents a significant step forward in India’s fight against Hepatitis A and is poised to make a substantial contribution to public health. The vaccine launch event was held on Friday (February 19) at a hotel in Hyderabad. The new vaccine, ‘Havisure’, is the result of extensive research and development efforts by IIL’s dedicated team of scientists and researchers. This indigenously developed vaccine is poised to play a crucial role in preventing Hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection that poses a significant public health challenge.
Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) rolls out India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A Vaccine “Havisure®”India achieves Self-sufficiency for Hepatitis A vaccine, true example of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
Hyderabad, 19th Jan’2024–Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) a wholly owned… pic.twitter.com/YijYolEIPk
— Indian Immunologicals Limited (@indimmune_) January 19, 2024
Also Read: Odisha Declares Hepatitis B And C As Notifiable Diseases
Hepatitis A is a viral infection primarily spread through the fecal-oral route, meaning that it is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Addressing the event, K. Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Ltd., said,
The launch of Havisure is a testament to our commitment to advancing healthcare solutions for the nation. Currently, Hepatitis A vaccines are imported into our country and as the true meaning of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, IIL has tirelessly put in efforts and developed India’s 1 vaccine for Hepatitis A.
He added,
The vaccine Havisure has undergone extensive clinical trials in 8 centres and has proven to be safe and efficacious. With Havisure, we aim to contribute significantly to the prevention of this infectious disease. IIL launching three vaccines in a single year is itself a big achievement and full credit to my team.
‘Havisure’ is set to play a crucial role in protecting against the Hepatitis A virus, which primarily affects the liver. The vaccine is effective in preventing the disease and is recommended for children with routine immunisations. It is a two-dose vaccine wherein the first dose is administered at 12 months of age and the second dose is given at least 6 months after the first dose.
The vaccine is also recommended for individuals who are at risk of exposure or travel to regions with high Hepatitis A prevalence. In addition to this, people with an occupational risk of infection and suffering from chronic liver diseases also need the Hepatitis A vaccination.
Also Read: World Health Organization Launches ‘One Life, One Liver’ Campaign On World Hepatitis Day
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
