Bharat Biotech, a vaccine company, has received Pre-Qualification tag from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Typbar TCV or Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine. The WHO tag would allow the firm to access global public vaccination programmes. “This enables the procurement and supplies of the vaccine to UNICEF, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and GAVI supported countries,” Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, has said.
For one, the board of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) Gavi Board approved funding of $85 million for 2019-2020 to support the administration of the typhoid conjugate vaccine in developing countries, he said. Quoting International Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates, he said about 12 million cases of typhoid fever were reported in 2016, resulting in the deaths of 1.30 lakh people globally.
Stating that the economic costs of typhoid were very high, he said the known antibiotics have developed resistance, leaving little protection for people. He said the firm spent Rs 150 crore to develop the vaccine over a period of 12 years and emerged a top-10 vaccine brand in the country. The WHO has recommended the use of typhoid conjugate vaccines on infants between 6 and 23 months of age and for children between 2 and 15 years of age.