India Must Increase Local Vaccine Production To Improve Safety, Says GTRI Report

India needs to expand its local vaccine manufacturing and research to give better control over safety of these pharma products, think tank GTRI said on Monday.

The Global Trade Research Initiative also suggested the government to launch an investigation to track all adverse health events post-vaccination as this could help make future vaccine rollouts more transparent, safe and effective.

"Expanding local vaccine manufacturing and research can give India better control over vaccine safety, ensuring vaccines meet local needs and are tailored to the population's health characteristics," it said in a report.

It added that these suggestions assume importance in the backdrop of the October 2024 release of 'The Pfizer Papers: Crimes Against Humanity' which has ignited global debate over vaccine safety, ethics and transparency.

"As the world prepares for future pandemics, the insights from The Pfizer Papers provide a foundation for building safer, more effective and more trustworthy vaccination strategies, ensuring public health is prioritised over profit in global health responses," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said.