Expert group on regulatory issues of Indian vaccine industry

The Union Health Ministry today said it will form an expert group to examine regulatory issues for Indian vaccine industry.
It also urged the domestic vaccines manufacturers to accord prime importance to meeting domestic demand and also to take initiatives in developing critical vaccines.
"Indian vaccines manufacturers should accord prime importance to meeting domestic demand, upscale research and development related work, and also take initiatives in developing critical vaccines such as Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines," the Union Health Secretary, C K Mishra, said.
He was addressing the inaugural session of the CII National Conference on Vaccine Industry in India 'Reforms required for early accessibility, growth and sustained competitiveness' today.

Dr GN Singh, Drug Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, said that the government will form an expert group to examine regulatory issues for Indian vaccine industry.
This expert group would work towards speedy resolution of issues in time-bound manner without compromising critical aspects like quality, patient safety and patient management, he said.

Mishra also lauded the efforts of Indian vaccines players in leaving a mark on global landscape as leading supplier of vaccines to world, and said that it is encouraging to witness that there has never been an instance of shortage of vaccines in India.

He asserted that the entire Indian Healthcare industry has to get involved for an effective healthcare delivery in Indi; and "we must move from health for all to health by all, whereby the vaccine industry has a critical transformational role to play."
The Health Secretary said that the Government is committed to putting together resources for Mission Indradhanush.
Mission Indradhanush is a government initiative to ensure full immunisation of all children in India.
Besides, he stressed that both industry and government should continue nurturing the symbiotic relationship thereby taking vaccine industry to a higher level.