Telangana: No action after banned polio vaccine sold, used

Hyderabad: At least 12 private clinics and retailers who were caught stocking and using the prohibited trivalent oral polio virus vaccine (tOPV) have been allowed to go scot free. The use of the tOPV resulted in the discovery of vaccine-derived polio virus in the city’s drains last year.

The tOPV contains a live strain of the virus which could re-enter the system, and it has been banned for that reason. However, the fine for violations is measly.

Telangana state health authorities found an active strain of wild polio virus (P2 strain) in the drains in Amberpet in May last year and in Nagole in September.

Hyderabad district medical and health officials issued show-cause notices to seven private clinics and RR district officials to five for using the phased-out vaccine, but did not take much action though criminal action was promised against them.

Only a room at the Lucid Diagnostic Solutions has been sealed.

The others — Pushpa Maternity and Nursing Home of Malakpet, Dr Sitharam Poddar Clinic at Chelapura, Kaába Hospital at Masab Tank, Khadija Maternity Home at Talabkatta, Dr M Raghava Chary Children’s Clinic at Vidyanagar and Sree Kirthana Clinic at Warasigua — are functioning as usual.

According to Mr G. Srinivasa Rao, chief programming officer of immunisation, “After a decision by the World Health Organisation, the trivalent vaccine was replaced by a bivalent vaccine. Out of the three polio virus strains — P1, P2 and P3 — tOPV has the p2 strain. This strain has been wiped out. But if tOPV is used the live (P2) strain may be come back and hence it has been phased out. Some clinics are still using it.”

Hyderabad district medical and health officer Dr K. Padmaja said, “We issued notices in October and these clinics replied that they had stocked the tOPV by mistake. We sent the replies to the commissioner, family welfare, seeking directions for further action. We haven’t booked any criminal cases against them.

She said “When we verified with legal experts, they said a fine of Rs 50 can be imposed against them as per law,” she said.

Director, Immunisation, Vakati Karuna issued a fresh warning that criminal action would be initiated against 12 clinics and retailers. As the state is gearing up for a fresh round of polio vaccination on January 29, officials have decided to conduct a fresh drive in the city to check the stocks of vaccine. 

“We suspect still some quacks may be using tOPV. So we are going to conduct intense checks,” she said.