Dengue vaccination will be introduced in India by early next year on a demonstration basis in areas where prevalence is high, a senior official of Indian Council of Medical Research said on Monday.

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A serosurvey (a test of blood serum from a group of individuals) in this connection has been done recently in more than 15 states including West Bengal, and report was published in medical journal, Lancet Global Health, official said.

"As soon as we get approval (from government), as soon as all permissions and documentation are done properly, we will launch dengue vaccine in India, ICMR Director General Prof (Dr) Balram Bhargava said.

Dengue Vaccine under development

"We are looking at use of demonstration projects for dengue vaccine for future in areas of high prevalence," Bhargava said. He said that move could be perceived as slow but it would be systematic.

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"We have collaborated with US because we go by book and go systematic. That's why we don't want to rush," secretary to department of health research, ministry of health and family welfare said. India will opt ways Sri Lanka has dealt with dengue and country is set to enter into a collaboration with island nation for same. India is in final phase of signing a collaboration with Sri Lanka as ir dengue programme has been "exemplary", he ded.

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Dengue mortality in Lanka

"y (Sri Lanka) have done best as far as dengue is concerned. y have a very high incidence of dengue yet zero mortality," said Bhargava who was in Kolkata to attend an inaugural programme of India's first National Antimicrobial Resistance Hub.

On high numbers of dengue deaths in West Bengal, he said, "We have to remember that disease outbreak follows a pattern. We have to look at map where it is very high.

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" Over 10 people have died and around 3000 have been diagsed with dengue in West Bengal in recent times," a health department official said.

Dengue deaths in West Bengal have been quite high for last five years despite state government's initiatives to control vector-borne disease.

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