ShanIPV vaccine
Recently, India has launched the injectable inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as part of the country’s commitment to global polio eradication. The IPV injection will be given to children below one year of age, along with the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) at the routine immunization sessions free of cost. In the first phase, the vaccine will be introduced in six states namely Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The introduction of IPV in routine immunization is as per recommendation made in the World Health Assembly in May 2015. In India, Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics Private Limited is manufacturing the ShanIPV vaccine, which is used in the country’s injectable IPV programme. Shantha will provide 2.3 million doses of ShanIPV in 2015, and 9 million in 2016 to Unicef for India’s needs.