Hyderabad, Oct. 22: The Scientific Advisor to the Defence Ministry Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam, said that vaccination against dreaded diseases should be made affordable to the common man.

"I always dreamt of vaccines against Hepatitis-B, malaria and AIDS. One of my dreams was realised with the production of the Hepatitis-B vaccine", he said. Dr. Kalam was addressing a gathering here on Thursday after launching Revac-B (recombinant vaccine for Hepatitis-B) manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited.

He called on the scientists involved in research, especially in the medical field, to strive hard and work for the benefit of the common man.

Dr. G. Padmanabha, Emeritus Professor, Indian Institute of Science, in his address said vaccines were the most cost-effective way to prevent dreaded diseases. More emphasis should be laid on producing modern vaccines to effectively combat the diseases, he added.

Dr. Kakarla Subba Rao, Director, NIMS, presided over the function. Dr. Krishna Ella, Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited also spoke.