Can develop vaccine to fight Nipah if government asks for it, says Serum Institute

PUNE: Pune-based Serum Institute of India has said that it may look at evaluating a candidate vaccine to combat Nipah virus, and that can be rolled out in three to four years if the country decided to develop the preventive on a priority.

However, the institute clarified that the government hasn’t asked Serum to develop a vaccine yet. Rajeev Dhere, executive director at the Serum Institute of India, said: “If the nation decides that it is a priority to develop a vaccine to combat Nipah virus, Serum may look at evaluating a candidate vaccine. It can be rolled out in three to four years, which is the normal development and licensing period, if considered on fast track.”

Even as the government machinery is busy trying to contain the spread of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, there is no vaccine yet to fight the disease. Attempts are being made to prevent the infection of Nipah virus by containing the epidemic in a restricted area. Going by human vulnerability, the virus is a comparatively recent infection.