More of the dirtiest vaccine politics. Our children have been knowingly harmed!!!

April 28, 2008

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Vaccine truths: Adults need their shots too7 Oct 2005, 0104 hrs IST,Pankhoori Sinha,TNN[This news unwittingly reveals that our children have been subjected to

genocide. "ONLY 1% OF "VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES OCCUR IN CHILDHOOD, AND YET 99% OF THE VACCINES ARE AIMED AT THEM." Respected citizen of India, we would request you to ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION. Why have our children been subjected to so many vaccines? Why are they still being vaccinated? We are waiting for those "Mai ke lal's" who should now stand up and fight for the children. Or else we should start wearing bangles, cover our heads with pallu's and watch our children being killed and mauled. - Jagannath.]

NEW

DELHI: If you thought you've had your fill of vaccine shots as a toddler, think

again. The truth is you need a diphtheria-tetanus booster dose every 10 years

after you turn 18. And that's not all. Even non-pregnant women require MMR

shots, while other essential adult vaccines include those for pneumonia,

influenza and meninigococcal meningitis.

But while a concerted campaign

is on to eradicate diseases like polio among children, doctors rue the fact that

adult vaccination has not been given its due. Said Dr Nalin Nag, senior

consultant in internal medicine, Apollo Hospital: "There is no concept of

vaccinating adults in India.

The fact that only children

need vaccination is a myth. Adults also need to be immunised against several

diseases from time to time." In fact, the successful eradication of ailments

like smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, measles and mumps in the United States is

largely attributed to adult vaccination.

Medical practitioners also

blame their own fraternity for being lax on the issue. Said Dr Nag: "Not just

the patients, there are several doctors who haven't given adult vaccinations any

emphasis." There are some doctors though who feel that adult vaccination is the

need of the hour.

"There is a

rising need for adult vaccination because cases of diseases like influenza and

other chest infections are steadily increasing," said Dr G S Grewal, member of

the Delhi Medical Council. With no adult vaccination schedule issued by the

government, several doctors are of the view that child vaccination should indeed

be the priority.

Said

Dr Narendra Saini of the Indian Medical Association (IMA): "First children

should be vaccinated, only then adults should be taken care of. IMA recommends a

rubella vaccine for all adolescent girls and a vaccine for Hepatitis B. It

cannot be done for all since it's a very costly affair."

World Health Organisation

(WHO) is also of the view that adult vaccinations can be afforded to be

neglected in a country like India. According to Dr Craig Burgress, officer in

the routine immunisation unit of WHO: "One has to see what is practically

possible as against what's the ideal course of action.

Though adult vaccination would

help, a lot depends on the immunisation programme structure in the country. In

some states in India, it's too fragile for adult vaccination programme to be

carried out."

Echoed Dr Anoop

Misra, professor, department of medicine, AIIMS: "Child vaccines have always

been the priority in our country. When that goal is achieved, the next goal

should be to get the adults vaccinated."

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