Viral Vaccines in India: An Overview

Viruses cause a large number of diseases in humans, some of which are fatal, while others are highly debilitating. A majority of viral diseases attack infants and young children, while others strike people in their prime. Development of preventive measures against viral diseases is, therefore, of paramount importance. Vaccination is the most cost-effective medical intervention for preventing mortality and morbidity against infectious diseases. A number of effective and safe vaccines are currently available against several viral diseases of significant medical importance. Many of these manufactured in India, are at par with international standards and are affordable. For many other viral diseases, for which vaccines are currently not available, research is underway at various national laboratories, as well as in the private sector companies in India. The present overview highlights the various vaccine preventable viral diseases that are of special importance to India and aims to provide a glimpse of the various vaccines that are currently available, or are under development in India.