Lucknow : After overcoming hurdles at different levels and obtaining the approval of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the study to test the efficacy of the single dose of “live attenuated SA14-14-2” — the only vaccine against Japanese Encephalitis used in India — has finally begun in Uttar Pradesh and Assam.
Apart from testing the efficacy of the single dose of the vaccine, the study also intends to find out whether a second dose is required to ensure immunity among children in the age group of 1-15 years.
Currently, a single dose of the JE vaccine is being provided in India and Nepal. On the other hand, China — from where the vaccine is being imported — and other countries have already adopted a different dose regime.
The study, which was overdue, will be conducted in 18 districts of Uttar Pradesh and four districts of Assam — the two states which have reported the maximum number of JE cases in the last few years.
It will be conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Dr M Gore of National Institute of Virology, Pune, the principal investigator of the study. It will be done in collaboration with Gorakhpur Medical College in UP, Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Dibrugarh, Assam and the Assam Medical College.
The PATH, an international non-profit organisation which provides technical support to various countries including India for the JE programme, will be funding the lab and field aspects of the study. “This study is not only important for India but also for countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Conducted in Nepal around seven years ago, it had established around 98 per cent efficacy of the single dose of vaccine,” said Dr Pritu Dhalaria, Director, Immunisation project of PATH.
“No study was conducted in India after the vaccine was introduced in 2006. We are happy that all formalities are cleared and the fieldwork can begin in first week of June, simultaneously in UP and Assam,” he added. The ICMR had recommended this study in 2006 so that the right dose regime could be decided in India. But it could not take off due to various hurdles, mainly clearances.
As many as 303 JE cases from UP and 57 from Assam have been identified. The field officers in the two states have been trained. The results will be presented to the Central government by December.