Health Minister Nadda Launches Indigenous Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine at CRI Kasauli

Addressing the gathering, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda congratulated the scientists, technical experts and staff of the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, describing the indigenous launch of the Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine as a momentous and historic occasion. He stated that the launch marks a significant step towards safeguarding national health security and strengthening India’s public health infrastructure.

The Minister underlined that the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set clear targets for achieving self-reliance in the health and pharmaceutical sectors. He noted that the launch of the indigenously manufactured Td vaccine represents a concrete step towards the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in health and medicine.

With the formal launch of the Td vaccine , the vaccine has now been introduced for supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). The Central Research Institute will supply 55 lakh doses to the UIP by April 2026, with production expected to scale up progressively in subsequent years to further strengthen the Universal Immunization Programme of the Government of India, he stated.

Highlighting India’s global standing, the Minister also stated that India is widely recognized as the “pharmacy of the world” and is among the leading vaccine manufacturers globally. He further noted that India has achieved Maturity Level 3 in the World Health Organization’s global benchmarking of regulatory systems, reflecting the robustness of its vaccine regulatory framework. Institutions such as CRI, he observed, have played a significant role in achieving these standards.

Union Health Minister recalled that historically, vaccine and drug development timelines were long—tetanus vaccine development took decades globally, tuberculosis medicines took nearly 30 years to evolve, and the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine took almost a century of scientific effort. In contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India developed two indigenous vaccines within nine months and administered over 220 crore doses, including booster doses. He also highlighted that COVID-19 vaccination certificates were delivered digitally, demonstrating India’s digital transformation in public health delivery.

Referring to India’s global solidarity efforts, he stated that under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries, of which 48 countries received vaccines free of cost. He noted that the contributions of public sector institutions such as CRI strengthened India’s capacity to serve both domestic and global needs.

Nadda emphasized that CRI is the first government institute to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, reflecting the modernization and revitalization of public sector vaccine manufacturing units.

Highlighting the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), he described it as the world’s largest immunization programme. The UIP currently provides 11 vaccines protecting against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases, in which CRI has made substantial contributions. He noted that every year approximately 2 to 2.5 crore children are born and a similar number of women become pregnant. From the time of pregnancy registration, beneficiaries are tracked through digital platforms such as U-WIN. The Government ensures that expectant mothers receive five antenatal check-ups, including at least one by a specialist. The immunization and tracking process continues until the child attains 16 years of age, covering 27 doses under the programme.

The Minister informed that the annual immunization cohort comprises nearly 5 crore beneficiaries, including around 2.5 crore pregnant women and 2.5 crore children. Due to systematic tracking and sustained immunization efforts, vaccine coverage in the country has reached nearly 99 percent. He described this as a transformative shift in India’s public health landscape, with institutions like CRI playing a pivotal role.

Referring to Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the Minister stated that it is the world’s largest publicly funded health coverage programme, benefitting over 62 crore people. He further noted that all citizens above 70 years of age, irrespective of socio-economic criteria, are eligible for health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year under the scheme.

The Minister also highlighted improvements in institutional deliveries, which have increased from 79 percent to 89 percent, reflecting strengthened maternal health services and improved access to healthcare facilities across the country.

He reiterated that such policy interventions and institutional strengthening demonstrate how sustained governance efforts can transform public health outcomes and reinforce national health security.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, representatives of State Health Departments, Dr. Dimple Kasana, Director, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, public health experts, and other stakeholders were present at the occasion.

Background

In view of this in 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries transition from Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine to Td vaccine. This recommendation was reaffirmed in the WHO Tetanus Vaccine Position Paper (2017) and through deliberations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) in 2002 and 2016.

The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has also recommended replacing the TT vaccine with the Td vaccine in India’s immunization programme for all age groups, including pregnant women. This transition aims to extend and strengthen protection against diphtheria in addition to tetanus, while sustaining the gains achieved in maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination and routine immunization activities.

To support this initiative, CRI has undertaken the manufacturing of the Td vaccine. The Institute successfully completed developmental studies, obtained a Test License, secured waivers for preclinical studies and Phase I, II, and III clinical trials, received Marketing Authorization and License for manufacture and sale, initiated commercial manufacturing, and obtained release from the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli.