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Pvt med centres face shortage of hepatitis B vaccine
Several hospitals and nursing homes, especially in the private sector, are reportedly facing a shortage of hepatitis B vaccine
Pune: Several hospitals and nursing homes, especially in the private sector, are reportedly facing a shortage of hepatitis B vaccine. Even healthcare staff working in medical college are facing the vaccine shortage, said doctors. However, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) official said of having adequate stock supplied by the government.
The vaccine under the national immunisation programme is given to newborn babies and suggested to high-risk patients and healthcare staff falling in the vulnerable category. Doctors claim that given the poor availability of the vaccine, people and healthcare staff are at risk. Pharmaceutical companies have stopped or decreased production, shifting to multi-dose vials, they claimed.
Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, Hospital Board of India—Indian Medical Association (IMA), said, “We have discussed the issue with officer-bearers and members, and decided to write to the government authorities to make hepatitis B vaccine available on priority.”
Dr Rajesh Dighe, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) immunisation officer, said, “We have adequate stock and the supply is received from the government. The stock received is limited, due to which it cannot be given to the healthcare staff working in municipal hospitals. However, there is shortage of vaccines in private hospitals. The newborn babies from private doctors are referred to us and we administer them hepatitis vaccine free of cost,” he said.
As per experts, hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver and is primarily spread through contact with infectious bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. This can happen through activities like unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from mother to child at birth.
Dr Patil said that while there is an acute shortage of single-shot hepatitis B vaccine, multi-dose vaccine is not available in adequate quantity. “Medical colleges and private hospitals are facing a shortage of vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies have informed us that manufacturing of the vaccine had been stopped, but did not give the reason.”
Dr Sanjay Lalwani, medical superintendent, Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, said, “There is shortage of both single-dose and multi-dose vaccine of hepatitis B not only in Pune, but across the country. We are giving multi-dose vaccine to newborn babies after 42 weeks. The healthcare staff, falls in the high-risk category, but given the shortage, we are unable to give hepatitis B vaccine to them. In the past four months, we have not given hepatitis vaccine to any of our new joinees.”
Dr Prashant Bothe, medical superintendent, PMC-run Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH), said, “There is a shortage of hepatitis vaccine and it is not available for the healthcare staff. The available vaccines are only for newborn babies. Recently, we made a local purchase of hepatitis vaccine for 100 intern healthcare staff and doctors. These doctors are from PMC-run medical college. However, the money for the vaccine was given by the staff themselves.”
