Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 25:

The Ministry of Health and Population is planning to introduce Tissue culture vaccine from 2006. Since the vaccine will have nominal side effects, it can be administered on children, elderly people, and pregnant women. “The vaccine will be administered in the shoulder,” said Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. “Nervous Tissue Origin (NTO) Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV), which has been in use in Nepal till date, is administered around the navel area in a course of seven to 10 days.” Conventional vaccines cause pain because they are administered around the navel. “The tissue culture vaccine for rabies is being introduced as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has appealed for the global phasing out of NTO Anti-Rabies vaccine by 2006.” “NTO Anti-Rabies Vaccine is available only in government hospitals and in health posts but the tissue culture vaccine will be available in the market.” The ECDC had been providing 5,00000 ml Betapropiolactone (BPL) 5 per cent Inactivated Anti- Rabies vaccine to 60 health institutions across the country. In Nepal, around 20,000 people are vaccinated against rabies each year.