Karachi: Good news for the people of Karachi, as the vaccine for dog bites will now be easily available in the city as Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has commenced the commercial production of Dow Rab, an anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), prepared at its Ojha campus using Chinese raw material.
At a ceremony held on Tuesday, experts from DUHS announced the launch of Dow Rab, marking a milestone achievement in the university’s efforts to address public health challenges. Vice Chancellor Prof Saeed Quraishy, Vice Chancellor of Dow University, inaugurated the Dow Rab vaccine and mentioned that 30,000 doses of the vaccine have been provided to the distribution network. Additionally, an extra 170,000 doses of the vaccine will be prepared from raw material obtained from China in the next few weeks.
Emphasizing the vaccine’s compliance with the standards set by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), Prof Quraishy outlined plans to extend its availability beyond Sindh and produce an additional 170,000 doses of the ARV. He also disclosed that a complete ARV course would be accessible at an affordable price of Rs1,500, underscoring the university’s commitment to accessibility and affordability.
The agreement signed between DUHS and Muller & Phipps Pvt Ltd for the distribution of the ARV further solidifies the university’s efforts to ensure widespread access to the vaccine. With approximately one million people falling victim to stray dog bites annually in Pakistan, resulting in thousands of deaths due to rabies, the urgent need for locally produced ARV is evident.
The Dow Rab vaccine for dog bites has been initially introduced across Sindh. The vaccine will be delivered to the desired location within 48 hours upon a phone call.
It is worth noting that an increase in dog bite incidents, particularly in Karachi and throughout Sindh, has been observed. Affected individuals were previously distressed due to the unavailability of the vaccine, which posed a threat to their lives.
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