The Health Ministry today informed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is progressing towards the development of an improved vaccine against Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD). It is an important regional infectious disease in the Western Ghats region, including states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra. The Ministry said that the vaccine has been successfully developed, and animal challenge and toxicity studies have been completed.

It added that the Phase I human clinical trial has also been initiated following approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. The Health Ministry further said that the development of the vaccine was undertaken at the request of the Karnataka government, and ICMR is working towards developing a fully indigenous, two dose, adjuvanted inactivated KFD vaccine which will be given at an interval of 28 days.