The Union Health Secretary's recent visit to Bilthoven Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturing unit in Utrecht, Netherlands, is part of the country's efforts to secure a stable supply of oral polio vaccines. This visit becomes even more vital as concerns had arisen regarding the availability of injectable inactivated poliomyelitis vaccines (IPV) for India's public health program.
During the visit, discussions took place with key personnel from Bilthoven Biologicals, including CEO Juergen Kwik, addressing issues such as European Union pandemic preparedness partnership and collaboration on vaccine production. The purchase of Bilthoven Biologicals by the Serum Institute of India in 2012 has significantly boosted the institute's vaccine production capabilities and provided a valuable manufacturing base in Europe. This move was made to strengthen the capacity of producing vaccines critical for public health programs.
The collaboration between Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for enhanced production of oral polio vaccines aims to increase the supply security of OPV. This partnership will see Bharat Biotech procuring drug substances for OPV production from Bilthoven Biologicals, further augmenting the availability of vaccines within India and globally. These efforts are crucial to sustaining a sufficient supply of OPV to uphold India's polio-free status, which was achieved in March 2014.
As the concern persists about the potential supply of IPV for India's Universal Immunisation Programme, Serum Institute of India has stated its readiness to upscale production to meet the nation's complete annual requirement within a few months if necessary. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, emphasized the commitment to prioritize India's needs, ensuring that the country remains well-equipped to maintain its polio-free status. The introduction of IPV into the Universal Immunisation Programme since November 2015 is a pivotal aspect of the Global Polio End-Game Strategy, aimed at eradicating polio completely.