Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), marks a historic moment in public health with the launch of India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine Havisure. 

This indigenously developed vaccine is poised to play a crucial role in preventing Hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection that poses a significant public health challenge. Hepatitis A is a viral infection primarily spread through the fecal-oral route, meaning that it is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. 

This novel vaccine was launched in the presence of Nagaraj Karpan, MLA and Ajay Mishra, IAS-Chairman Indian Redcross Society, Telangana. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals shared "Currently Hepatitis A vaccines are imported into our country. The vaccine Havisure has undergone extensive clinical trials in 8 centres and has proven to be safe and efficacious. The vaccine is comparable to the world’s leading vaccine sold by a multinational. With Havisure, we aim to contribute significantly to the prevention of this infectious disease."

Havisure is effective in preventing the disease and is recommended for children in the routine immunisation. It is a two-dose vaccine wherein the first dose is administered at above 12 months of age and the second dose is given at least after 6 months of the first dose. The vaccine is also recommended for individuals who are at risk of exposure or travel to the regions with high hepatitis A prevalence. In addition to this people with occupational risk of infection and suffering from chronic liver diseases also need Hepatitis A vaccination. 

Dr Priyabrata Pattnaik, Dy. Managing Director, IIL said, “The company has considerably invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to scale up production and meet the growing demand for Hepatitis A vaccine. As part of the launch, IIL will be collaborating with healthcare professionals, corporate hospitals, and government agencies to promote awareness about Hepatitis A and the importance of both paediatric, adolescent & adult vaccination”.