Year after year, Kerala grapples with vaccine shortages, particularly for anti-rabies vaccines, as the persistent stray dog problem persists. The state’s hopes for a homegrown vaccine manufacturing company were shattered when a firm, established 40 years ago in Kulanada, had to close its doors after just 13 years. This company, which could have significantly addressed the state’s vaccine demands, was the second of its kind in the country.
Dr. M R Dharmarajan, a scientist at the Pasteur Institute of India in Coonoor and a native of Elavumthitta, initiated the Institute of Viral Vaccine in Kulanada in 1982. Securing a loan from the Kerala Financial Corporation, he imported equipment and machinery from France. During that time, the vaccine supply to veterinary dispensaries in the state was primarily sourced from Kulanada. Additionally, the company had begun exporting indigenous vaccines, including a vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease, to 90 countries, including African nations.
Regrettably, the fate of the firm took a turn for the worse. K C Gopalakrishna Pillai, an official at the company’s freeze-drying plant, laments the circumstances, recalling that higher officials in the Veterinary Department became displeased when they felt they weren’t treated “properly.” Pillai explained that these officials made various attempts to secure commissions, but Dharmarajan refused to yield.
Subsequently, the Director of the Veterinary Department mandated that the vaccine distribution could only resume after obtaining the IVRA certificate once again. This sudden requirement led to an abrupt halt in vaccine supply to the dispensaries, leaving no means of selling the vaccines. Later, Spencer & Co. took over distribution in South India, temporarily sustaining the company. However, the financial strain prevented the payment of employee salaries, resulting in many leaving the company. The bank that provided loans initiated the process of attaching assets, ultimately leading to the complete shutdown of the company in 1995. Dr. Dharmarajan, who had relocated to Ezhukone in Kollam, passed away in 2014.
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