New Delhi:
Cool weather may get you a respite from the heat, but WHO fears that numbers of those infected with the H1N1 virus will only increase. So the need for a vaccine becomes even more imperative.
India will not be ready till next year with its own vaccine to combat swine flu. But can importing from abroad then be the answer? Officials are expecting 50 million doses to reach government warehouses by mid October.
America may be ready with the first swine flu vaccine by as early as October. But India is in a dilemma whether to import or not.
NDTV has learnt that the side effects of these vaccines is a primary concern why the government is hesitating in placing an order abroad. And also the vaccine imported first has to be tested on Indians.
"We want to develop our own system, which is why we have stressed from the beginning on our own vaccine," said V M Katoch, director, ICMR.
But as fears increase of a deadlier second wave of the flu, the big question is - can India afford to wait to develop our own vaccine?
Countries like the US and France have already placed advance orders with leading international pharmaceutical companies, and the longer India waits, the lower it will be on the priority list of the companies.
"The vaccine is not even ready yet. What do you want me to say right now?" said Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
But it's not just about effective vaccines but inexpensive ones as well, those which Indians can afford. So the government is pinning all its hopes now on an Indian-made vaccine, even though these may be available after foreign made ones.