JENVAC-India's first indigenously developed Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine

JENVAC

Jenvac is the India's first indigenously developed Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine.It was launched on october 5^th 2013 by health minister Azad to fight against the mosquito borne viral infection.It has been jointly developed by scientist of National Institute of Virology (Pune),Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharath Biotech Ltd. JENVAC is a completely indigenous vaccine and an outstanding example of public-private partnership.Japanese Encephalitis is a viral disease that infects animals and humans.It is caused by flavivirus that affects the membranes around the brain that results in inflammation of brain.The virus causing Japanese Encephalitis is transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the Culex tritaeniarrhynchus and Culex vishnui groups,which breed particularly in flooded rice fields.Mild infections occur without apparent symptoms other than fever with headache. More severe infection is marked by quick onset,high fever,neckstiffness,stupor,disorientation,coma,tremor,occasional convulsions(especially in infants) and spastic paralysis.

It is a leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia with 30000 to 50000 clinical cases reported annually.It occurs from the islands of the western Pacific in the east to the Pakisthani border in the west and from Korea in north to Papua New Ginea in the south. Till now,a vaccine being used in India was imported from China. JENVAC is initiated for the prevention of disease caused by Japanese Encephalitis Virus in persons one year of age and older.It is a vero cell derived, inactivated and chromatographically purified Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine and is made from a thermally stable India Kolar,821564-XY.The vaccine must be administered intra-muscularly. It has been assigned a shelf life of 2 years from the date of manufacture when kept at recommended storage temperature of 2⁰C degree celsius to 8⁰C.

JENVAC is a 100% inactivated vaccine.It provides cross protection against internationally accepted heterologous JE virus strains. One dose is sufficient and can be administered for campaign immunization. For routine immunization,it is recommended to administer 2 doses,28 days apart.

Presentations:

                   Single dose vial - 0.5ml

                   Multi dose vial  -  2.5ml

by:     Pallavi P and Reshma Roy,Second Pharm.D