- The World Health Organization (WHO), first time gave green signal to Indian pharma company, Bharat Biotech’s anti-diarrhoea vaccine ‘Rotavac’ for worldwide use.
- The WHO has given ‘pre-qualification’ nod to Rotavac.
- WHO’s ‘pre-qualification’ means that the vaccine can be sold to many countries.
- Although many vaccines produced in India got ‘pre-qualification’ nod, but first time, entirely developed locally (in India) medicine has given this status.
About Rotavac Vaccine
- The rotavirus vaccine ‘Rotavac’ was launched in 2015 by Bharat Biotec. This is the second product by Bharat Biotech that got WHO nod in a monty. Earlier, its typhoid vaccine ‘Typbar TCV‘ was also given green nod.
- This vaccine was built on strain of the virus isolated at AIIMS, Delhi in 1986.
- This vaccine was included in India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UPI) in 2016.
About Rotavirus
- Rotavirus is a viral infection caused by drinking contaminated food and water. It is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children.
- According to a report, it kills one lakh infants a year in India and five lakhs globally.
