September 19, 2017 - 16:14 AMT
Health ministry on possible import of chickenpox vaccine to Armenia

The health ministry on Tuesday, September 19 said that no chickenpox vaccine will enter the Armenian market for now.

Earlier, Cadila Healthcare said it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Russia-based Pharm-Aid for the technology know-how for chickenpox vaccine production.

Through this agreement, Zydus gains access to the public and private market segments in Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Cadila Healthcare said in a statement.

Chickenpox vaccine also called Varicella is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which leads to a highly contiguous childhood disease.

In a conversation with PanARMNIAN.Net, National Immunization Program Manager at Armenia's health ministry Gayane Sahakyan said the country's national vaccination schedule envisages no investments into chickenpox vaccines at least by 2020.

"Out vaccination budget has been approved for until 2020, and no such amendment is expected," Sahakyan said.

"Armenia acquires all the vaccines from the UN Children's Fund and from pharmaceutical companies pre-qualified by the World Health Organization. The standards are high, and a pharmaceutical company with a one- or two-year history cannot pass pre-qualification."

Sahakyan said that the newly-established company can't consider Armenia as a potential market for the coming 10 years.