ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: The government is replacing the current sheep brain vaccine with a more potent and efficacious vaccine produced through the tissue culture technique to treat rabies.

A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of the provincial health secretaries and director-generals of health here on Tuesday. Secretary Health Anwar Mehmood presided over the meeting.

Sheep brain vaccine is a highly delicate biological product sensitive to temperature and utmost care is needed for the maintenance of cold chain during its transportation and storage in hospitals and dispensaries.

Studies suggest that more than 10,000 people, including children, die from rabies in the country every year due to stray dog bite.

Rabies infection, according to the health experts, is almost 100 per cent fatal if proper post-exposure treatment is not given immediately after the bite. No vaccine in the world gives 100 per cent protection against the infection or disease.

However, mere vaccination of dog bite cases, they believe, is not answer to control rabies but elimination of stray dogs has to be given equal importance for which the cooperation of local bodies, district governments and municipal administration is imperative. Besides, compulsory vaccination of pet dogs and cats is also necessary.

The meeting was told that a project to start the production of new vaccine was already in place and the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) during its last meeting had asked the health ministry to seek consensus from the four provinces.

On Tuesday, the provincial secretaries and director-generals supported the production of high quality rabies vaccine in the country.

About 12 to 18 months will be required after approval of the project to put necessary infrastructure in place to initiate the supply of new product to the provinces.

Anwar Mehmood observed that the new rabies vaccine should also be made available in the local market instead of supplying it only to the provincial health departments to keep the rabies vaccine production financially viable.

The meeting dwelt on the issue of introduction of tetravalent vaccine combining Hepatitis-B and Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus Vaccine. After a detailed discussion, it was decided that the programme would continue to use monovalent vaccine, as tetravalent vaccine was far too expensive without commensurate advantages. Introduction of tetravalent vaccine would be reconsidered if and when prices show a significant decline.

Prof K A Karamat, National Coordinator EPI (Extended Programem of Immunization) told the meeting that immunization coverage in the country remained 77 per cent and there was need to push this percentage to at least 80 per cent.

Dr Rehan Hafiz, the National Manager EPI, told the meeting that enhanced efforts were being made to expand the immunization coverage of children in the country. An independent EPI cluster survey is being conducted from April to May next year to assess the performance of the programme, he said.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Bosnian ambassador in Pakistan Damir Dzanko handed over a consignment of medicines along with relief goods worth Euros 400,000 for the quake survivors. Minister of State for Health, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh received the consignment.

The donation includes essential medicines and orthopaedic instruments, while the relief goods comprise tents, blankets, wheel-chairs and artificial limbs.