80 percent hike in price of Polio Vaccine in two years: Minister informs Parliament

New Delhi: A sharp rise in the price of the Polio Vaccine has been witnessed in a period of just two years, as has been revealed by the response given by the Health Minister in Lok Sabha recently. The Minister of State, Health (MOS health) revealed the related figures while responding to a query during a Lok Sabha Session.

During the Session, MP Shri B. Vinod Kumar asked the Minister whether there has been a rise in the price of the Polio Vaccine.

In response to the question, Shri Ashwini Kumar Chouby through a written reply agreed to the same, stating that there has been a rise in the quoted price of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) through a domestic tender process.

Against the last procurement price of Rs. 95.52 per dose of IPV in the year 2016 quote of Rs. 172.59 per dose of IPV was received which is 80% higher than last procurement price, the reply stated

IPV is produced from wild-type poliovirus strains of each serotype that have been inactivated (killed) with formalin. IPV has been used successfully in the polio eradication programs in a few countries, notably in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, but until recently most countries have used the oral polio vaccine.

The member of the parliament further asked whether the Government has sought funds to the tune of Rs. 100 crore from an international donor to bear this cost hike.

The Minister in an affirmative response to the above question agreed and mentioned that India being Gavi eligible country the Government has sought support from Gavi for IPV to the extent of 50% of the annual requirement of IPV for next three years as commodity assistance to India.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

Gavi brings together developing countries and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.

Gavi was created in 2000 as a successor to the Children's Vaccine Initiative, which had been launched in 1990.

Further, the minister clarified that a question whether the availability of the vaccine would be affected in case the Government doesn’t receive the funds do not arise as the Gavi board has already approved IPV support to India as commodity assistance.