Are adverse reactions to vaccines being covered up in India?
As we begin the New Year it appears that another vaccine tragedy is unfolding. Many of us are aware that the year 2011 closed with blood on its hands after a baby girl died just hours after the pentavalent vaccine was introduced into India. What has been less publicized however, is that due to a massive orchestrated cover up mounting rumors that further deaths and adverse reactions have also been reported.
A journalist working in India, who cannot be named to protect their identity and their life, has informed me that the situation in India is now critical, stating that since the first death occurred, there have been reports of another two unconfirmed deaths and adverse reactions. The additional information is said to have been reported privately to doctors by a journalist from Kerala, where the first death occurred.
Since the report of these further unconfirmed deaths, the journalist who made the reports cannot be traced. This is despite every attempt to do so and there are now fears for his life.
As to be expected, experts have stated that the vaccine did not cause the death of the original baby who died within hours of receiving the pentavalent vaccine. Reports state that the infant died of breathlessness (commonly known as Apnea) during her sleep, after an autopsy report was released. (1) (Apnea attacks leading to death of an infant after vaccination are not uncommon. See ‘CotWatch study’ by Dr Viera Scheibner 1985. (2))
Within hours of the original report in the Times of India, the Asian Age another leading Indian newspaper presented a completely different picture, saying that the death was due to “smothering” and not breathlessness. (3) The Asian Age reported that “Experts found blood frothing and swelling in the trachea’, concluding that the baby may have been smothered,” The report stated:
‘Four days after a two-month old died after having administered with the first dose of pentavalent vaccine at Vithura in Kerala, a high-level team consisting of experts from the Union ministry of health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ruled out the possibility of her dying due to the vaccine. The experts investigating into the case in fact have pointed to “smothering” as the reason behind her death.’
This case mirrors the case of Sally Clark (4). Clark was jailed for murder after her children were found dead following vaccinations. Despite one of her children dying just five hours after his DPT vaccination, the evidence was withheld in court by two Expert Witnesses including Prof Roy Meadow who assured the jury that the vaccination could be discounted as the cause of death. Professor Meadow, a former member of a Department of Health sub-committee on adverse reactions to vaccines, told the jury that he could not think of any natural explanation for Harry’s or Christopher’s deaths, even though he had been part of several committee’s discussing children dying shortly after vaccinations. (5)
It has been said that multi vaccines such as the 5 in 1 are a way of introducing non UIP (Universal Immunization Programme) vaccines into India through the backdoor. In India only certain vaccines that are deemed necessary are accepted by the UIP. These include the DTP, OPV, Measles, BCG, TT, DT which are universally administered under the UIP and are bought in bulk by the government; these vaccinations are supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). All other vaccines that do not qualify for universal vaccination are purchased locally on a need basis.
The only way to encourage India to buy non UIP vaccines is to combine them into a multi vaccine such as the pentavalent vaccine thus pushing the non UIP vaccines in through the back door. Y. Madhavi (6)
In September 2010 a whole year before the pentavalent vaccine became part of the vaccination schedule a petition was sent to ‘The Court of New Delhi’, stating that India was unhappy with the amount of vaccines of questionable efficacy being pushed into the public health system.
Dr. Jacob M Puliyel S/o Late Shri P. M. Mammen Head, Dept. of Pediatrics, St. Stephans Hospital, Tis Hazari, New Delhi-110054 stated that the petitioners had filed the petition to highlight how, in the absence of a rational evidence-based vaccine policy, more and more vaccines of questionable efficiency and huge costs were being pushed into the public health system. Puliyel stated that the petition highlighted the serious short-comings in the present regulatory system and said that the vaccine was recommended for introduction in the UIP without any tests or epidemiological study.
His affidavit highlighted the fact that the government was trying to introduce the pentavalent vaccine whilst contravening every one of the basic principles used to pass a vaccination for clearance. (7)
His evidence was ignored and the vaccine went ahead despite the fear for public safety. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) was so keen in fact to introduce the vaccine combining the DPT (diphtheria – pertussis -tetanus), Hepatitis B and Hib to India and go against the evidence supplied that they agreed to supply the vaccine free of charge to 10 States for three years after which the Central government would take over the programme. According to one article found written in Indian (8) the pentavalent vaccine was introduced to India without scientific clearance and was being tested on the children of India.
This left one group of human rights protesters and activists the ‘Janakeeya Manushyavakasa Prasthanam’ (a human rights movement) so angered that they submitted a further petition to the court to have the vaccine banned throughout India.
Parents Gagged
My informant tells me that the parents of the dead children have been gagged. Saying: (own words)
“The parents of the further two dead children, (presuming the information is correct) will be too scared to speak, as has happened with another vaccine in Lucknow city. In that particular case the entire area was sealed and all available batches of the vaccine were pulled out and the aggrieved parents were threatened to keep quiet on the issue. They did not open their mouth when independent doctors went to verify the “rumours”. This is how in India they are ensuring Universal Health, Equity and Justice.”
Although the Indian media has been silenced to prevent further leaks, many doctors are beginning to speak out, some even signing the petition because they are so unhappy with the current situation.
Dr Rajiv Mittal reporting on One Click news (9) said:
(His exact quote)
“Pentavalent vaccine was introduced in the Government Immunization Programme in Kerala on 14/12/2011.
On the first day itself there has been one death following immunization in a 2 month old health baby immediately after vaccination with this vaccine that has caused deaths in many neighboring countries. The baby vomited and aspirated milk as a terminal event. As usual expect the death to be attributed to aspiration or any thing else except vaccine!”
One protester outraged by the decision to introduce the vaccine has placed a letter on his blog appealing to the people of India. He stated that other countries using the pentavalent vaccine had withdrawn it due to adverse events, including death and disability in children. He stated:
“Who will ensure that parents of children will be apprised of risks, who will examine the children’s health and health records before administering the vaccine, who will follow up on the children for adverse effects, who will ensure that adverse effects are dutifully reported and not ignored as is usually the case, who will ensure justice for the children affected, who will treat, compensate and rehabilitate the victims?” (10)
His words are very strong. Sadly they also apply to every country in the world who administers vaccines. So who in this case is going to pick up the pieces and take responsibility when more and more children are injured by this ill fated vaccine? Clearly not GAVI, as they appear to make a habit of introducing killer vaccines without checking that children have appropriate before and after care.
In March 2011 I reported on yet another Indian travesty after four children were reported to have died after being given the Measles vaccine (11).
You would have thought by now the Indian government would research these vaccines before accepting vaccines from GAVI wouldn’t you? It appears not because just months after the measles vaccine fiasco children are still being given killer vaccines recommended by GAVI.
In Novermber 2011 shortly before the pentavalent vaccine was introduced ‘The Express Tribune’ (12) reported in that a government inquiry had found that polio vaccines given to infants (funded by GAVI) had caused deaths and disabilities in India and regional countries including Pakistan.
Shahbaz Rana reporting for ‘The Express Tribune’ on the Polio vaccines wrote:
“The startling revelation is part of an inquiry report prepared by the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) on the working of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). The PMIC, headed by Malik Amjad Noon, has recommended that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani immediately suspend the administration of all types of vaccines funded by the GAVI.
The report, exclusively available to The Express Tribune, also suggested suspending the mass polio campaign, including the administration of pentavalent vaccines – a mixture of five vaccines to cure five diseases – until an inquiry finds these vaccines safe for children.”
According to ‘The Express Tribune’ there were also reports stating that a number of children suffered side effects including death soon after the vaccination was administered in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Japan.
Unsurprisingly, GAVI’s Geneva-based officials Jeffrey Rowland and Dan Thomas, did not respond to emails from ‘The Express Tribune’ but when you take into consideration the contents of the report it is easy to understand why.
Jagannath Chatterjee, a Public Health Activist and member of many medical organizations has been fighting against these issues since 1985. He is very concerned about the affects multiple vaccinations are having on the citizens of India. He is angry at the way GAVI and other organizations are introducing more and more vaccines often in the testing stages into the vaccine schedule.
Chatterjee says that he has been trying to educate doctors for many years on vaccination safety. He believes that not enough research is being done in India about the dangers of vaccinations He is particularly worried that too many vaccines are being given sick, undernourished babies. He told me:
“We generally get mails from people who say they are either journalists or health activists. After research we find that the mails are from scared doctors.
My role has been to both educate the doctors and the public. I have succeeded to some extent as in India vaccines are still perceived as life savers and parents tend to believe doctors much more than us. Unlike in developed countries, here there is absolutely no effort on the part of parents to research on vaccines, which is a great stumbling block. There are no books on the subject in the market. Even if they do research on the net or are told by us they end up being ensnared by the doctors who frankly scare them out of their wits. Other activists do not engage doctors. I do, with great effort, as I feel that either many of these doctors are not aware or they feel that their patients will never know the truth. So I both let them have full disclosure and also let them know that we know. Not many of the pediatricians will let the information affect their practice, but doctors of other modalities may put pressure on them as they too need to protect their own children and grandchildren. So there are many aspects of this fight and I try to fight with as diverse a method I can think of.”
He is right to try to educate doctors. Unless doctors are fully aware of the dangers of vaccination then history will keep on repeating itself.
This is not a great start to the New Year for the citizens of India. Each of the vaccines included in the five-in-one vaccine has a tainted history, with reports of hundreds of thousands of adverse reactions having been reported worldwide. These adverse reactions are encephalitis, convulsions (sometimes leading to epilepsy), uncontrollable screaming, exceptionally high temperatures, severe brain damage, and death. (13)
Many of the babies born in India are sickly, undernourished and underweight. Many are born with a variety of health problems including a heightened risk of infection and respiratory disease. Giving them doses of vaccines full of toxins and chemicals is a recipe for disaster as eminent pediatrician Dr T Jacob John has pointed out in India while referring to the measles vaccine. GAVI should concentrate on giving funds to governments for these babies to get better living conditions, hygiene and sanitation, access to clean and safe drinking water, locally available nutrition and traditional safe and side effect free health care rather than offloading killer vaccines turned away by the Western world.
References
1. Norma SaneVax – Pentavalent jab not cause of kid’s death http://sanevax.org/pentavalent-jab-not-cause-of-kids-death/
2. Medical Research on SIDS and Epidemics by Dr Viera Scheibner http://www.vierascheibner.org/index.php?view=article&catid=47%3Acot-deaths-sids&id=73%3Avaccinations-part-i-medical-research-on-sids-and-epidemics-&option=com_content&Itemid=58
3. Asian Age http://www.asianage.com/india/kerala-infant-died-smothering-510
4. The Spectator -What Killed Sally Clark’s Child? http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/all/30630/what-killed-sally-clarks-child.thtml
5. Freedom of Information Request Reveals Major Government Vaccine Conspiracy http://vactruth.com/2012/01/03/foi-request-reveals-major-vaccine-conspiracy/
6. Y. Madhavi New combination vaccines: backdoor entry into India’s universal immunization programme? http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jun102006/1465.pdf
7. IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI, AT DELHI – Jacob M Puliyel http://jacob.puliyel.com/download.php?id=219
8. Article in India http://jayan36.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post.html
9. One Click Baby Killed With Pentavalent Vaccine Dr Rajif Mittal http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/news.php?id=6718#newspost
10. United Black Untouchable Worldwide http://unitedblackuntouchablesworldwide.blogspot.com/2011/11/urgent-pentavalent-vaccine-to-be.html
11. Shahbaz Rana The Express Tribune – Vaccine-nation: ‘Globally-supported company is funding fatal polio shots’ http://tribune.com.pk/story/293191/vaccine-nation-globally-supported-company-is-funding-fatal-polio-shots/
12. Children Die Minutes After Measles Vaccine in India http://vactruth.com/2011/03/21/children-die-minutes-after-measles-vaccine-in-india/
13. Dr Harold Buttram and Christina England -Shaken Baby Syndrome or Vaccine Induced Encephalitis – Are Parents Being Falsely Accused?
Related Reading
Aarti Dhar The Hindu – ‘Controversy apart, 6 States want to introduce Hib vaccine’ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2642436.ece
Indian J Med Res 132, October 2010, pp 450-455
Correspondence Introducing pentavalent vaccine in EPI in India: issues involved http://icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2010/October/16.pdf
Photo Credit: Lee Cohen