The disease caused by Zika virus which affected millions around the globe is now curable.The virus affects pregnant women and their babies. There are now fears that the virus can also spread by having unprotected sex. The world’s first vaccine has been developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited located in Hyderabad, India. Responding to the news of the vaccine, the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Director General Dr Soumya Swaminathan said: “We have just been informed about the Zika vaccine candidate that Bharat Biotech has. We will examine it from the scientific point of view and see the feasibility of taking it forward”. The Hyderabad company has now developed two candidate vaccines using one live Zika virus but taking them through animal and human trials could be time consuming. The Hyderabad based Research Center has asked for Government help to fasten the process.
Staff Writer