India has joined the international community’s effort to make a vaccine for the H1N1 pandemic that has affected 135 countries in the world.

The virus strains reached the country last week from the World Health Organisation and two New Delhi-based drug companies have started work. Officials said the indigenous vaccine will take about “three to four months” to manufacture — the same duration in which international drug manufacturers have promised to deliver the vaccine. The WHO has said that the vaccines will be available by this autumn.

As of now, the Government has granted licences for the H1N1 vaccine to three companies, Serum Institute of India, Panacea Biotec and Bharat Biotech.

While Serum Institute of India, already a WHO-recognised vaccine manufacturing unit and Panacea Biotec have got the “A” (H1N1) virus strains from WHO, Bharat Biotech is waiting for its strains.

Said V M Katoch, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG ICMR: “Vaccine manufacture takes a minimum of three to four months, our vaccine will also take around the same time. It’s a part of international rapid response and things have to be hastened in response to a pandemic.” According to Katoch, this is part of the government’s plan to have its own indigenous vaccine.

With the pandemic spreading and over 70 per cent of the international manufacturing units being in Europe, the government wants to ensure that Indians get their vaccines on priority. “We have committees set up which will negotiate with the industry and also monitor the process. We want to ensure that our people get priority and once our need is met, firms can export the vaccines,” Katoch said.