VERY SUSPICIOUS - Polio Vaccine or Vitamin A Killing Kids in India

[Guest guest]

To summarize what Meryl Dorey has just found out.......

I am extremely suspicious. First Meryl Nass, MD posts the polio vaccine

damage story and I pass it around, then Meryl Dorey writes Henry Huang who

posted the BBC story on Promed and then Henry writes back - see that

conversation at the bottom of this email.

Reinvention of history possibly going on right before our eyes. First it

is the polio vaccine and now blaming it on Vitamin A - very fishy - we know

this goes on but never caught them in the act before.

1. First there was the following report on BBC which was then posted on

ProMEd - Polio vaccines causing death and injury in India

BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1651000/1651863.stm

2. ProMed

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/promed.searchhtml.showmail?p_filename=2

0011113.2796 & p_year=2001 & p_month=11

3. Then BBC totally changes the page that had the story of the

polio deaths to one that blames it on Vitamin A

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1651000/1651863.stm

Note what the page says now - not a new story, but they CHANGED the story

on that page - sidebars still show reference to polio

4. New Pro Med article

2. First Promed article based on BBC page that is no longer there

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/promed.searchhtml.showmail?p_filename=2

0011113.2798 & p_year=2001 & p_month=11

Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 22:20:09 -0500 (EST)

From: ProMED-mail <promed@...>

Subject: PRO/EDR> Poliomyelitis, vaccination deaths - India (Assam)

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POLIOMYELITIS, VACCINATION DEATHS - INDIA (ASSAM)

*************************************************

A ProMED-mail post

<http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases

<http://www.isid.org>

[see also:

2000

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Poliomyelitis, suspected - India: post-vaccination 20001220.2234]

Date: Mon 12 Nov 2001 23:22:27 -0600

From: Henry V. Huang <huang@...>

Source: BBC News Online, Mon 12 Nov 2001 [edited]

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1651000/1651863.stm>

Morbidity and Mortality after Polio vaccination in Assam

--------------------------------------------------------

CALCUTTA: At least 10 children have died in India's northeastern state of

Assam of side effects after being administered a vaccine during an polio

immunisation campaign run by the state government. More than 500 children

have been admitted to government and private hospitals after falling sick.

Angry groups of parents have surrounded offices of the local administration

in protest in Assam's southern city of Silchar.

On Sunday, thousands of children were administered a polio vaccine

throughout Assam and the rest of the country. But within a day of the

massive polio immunisation campaign, reports have come in of large-scale

side effects in and around the city of Silchar in southern Assam. Officials

say 9 children have died in one village -- Labok -- while one died in

Malugram locality of Silchar.

Non-governmental organisations in Silchar who assist the government in this

campaign say outdated vaccines were possibly supplied in some areas. But

officials were not willing to speculate on the causes of the large-scale

side effects.

[byline: Subir Bhaumik]

--

Henry V. Huang

Dept. of Molecular Microbiology

Washington U. School of Medicine

Box 8230, 660 S. Euclid Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63110-1093 USA

<huang@...>

[Dr. Huang comments that: The children became sick the day after the

vaccine campaign, so it's unlikely that the vaccine per se is the problem.

However, potential problems with that batch of vaccines, e.g.,

contamination, failure of cold chain, etc., are possible. - Mod.CP]

.....................cp/pg/es

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4. 2nd Promed article blaming Vitamin A

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Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 23:05:10 -0500 (EST)

From: ProMED-mail <promed@...>

Subject: PRO/EDR> Unexplained illness, children - India (Assam)

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UNEXPLAINED ILLNESS, CHILDREN - INDIA (ASSAM)

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A ProMED-mail post

<http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the

International Society for Infectious Diseases

<http://www.isid.org>

Date: 13 Nov 2001 10:59 AM ET

From: ProMED-mail <promed@...>

Source: Reuters [edited]

[1]

Hundreds of Indian Children Ill After Vitamin Dose

--------------------------------------------------

DISPUR, India: A U.N.-sponsored drive to protect against blindness in

northeastern India left 700 children hospitalized and a 2-year-old girl

dead, government officials said Tuesday.

Medical workers gave the vitamin A, supplied by U.N. humanitarian agency

UNICEF, to 321 000 children up to the age of 6 to ward off blindness in the

northeastern state of Assam, state officials said. " At present there are

700 children hospitalized in different parts of the state and they are not

in a serious condition, " state Health Minister Bhumidhar Burman told a

news conference. He said a 2-year-old girl died 2 hours after she was given

a dose of vitamin A Sunday, adding earlier reports up to 10 000 children

might have been affected by the concentrated vitamin A solution were

unfounded.

Vitamin A is regarded by doctors as a simple, cost-effective way of

preventing blindness among poor families, whose diets often lack vitamins.

Parents rushed the children suffering from fever, vomiting and stomach

pains to hospitals after vitamin A was given, said Dr. B.C. Kro, head of

state health services.

UNICEF regional officer Auer, speaking at a news conference in the

capital of the tea- and oil-rich state, denied allegations by police that

the vitamin A batch was contaminated. Burman said samples had been sent for

testing and the government had banned use of the vitamin A solution until

the results were known. Auer said the batch was " not contaminated but fine

as the products were manufactured in the months of June and August, "

adding the agency was " seriously looking into the incident. "

In Geneva, UNICEF spokeswoman Wivina Belmonte said that the agency eagerly

awaited the results of the investigation by Assam's Health Ministry. " This

was the third round of Vitamin A administration in Assam this year. There

were no complications from the others. In past year, a total of 35 million

Indian children have received doses to prevent blindness, " Belmonte told a

news briefing.

Kro said the children may have received an overdose. He said a preliminary

investigation had showed the doses were not contaminated and the expiration

date on the vitamin was 2003. " There must be something wrong with the

amount of medicine given to the children, " Kro said. " A child up to the

age of one year needs only 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) while a child

between one to 5 years requires 20 milliliters (4 teaspoons). ... These

children were probably given more. "

******

[2]

Date: Weds. 14 Nov 2001

From: ProMED-mail <promed@...>

Source: The Times of India [edited]

<http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1593059772>

Probe ordered into vitamin A deaths

-----------------------------------

GUWAHATI: The state government has ordered an inquiry and seized unused

vials of vitamin A following the death of at least one infant and thousands

of children below the age of 5 being taken ill. The condition of 3 children

in the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital is said to be critical.

The UNICEF-Assam campaign has been stopped and all remaining stocks have

been seized. " If required we would not hesitate to hand over the inquiry

to the CBI, " said health minister Bhumidar Burman.

It is said that vitamin A dose supplied by UNICEF and a changed spoon of

bigger size might have resulted in an overdose, admitted the state health

minister Dr Bhumidar Barman.

Das [deputy commissioner, Cachar] said that a large number of people were

rushing to the district hospitals with their children, making it almost

impossible for them to [be adequately cared for]. " We have requisitioned

help from the army, medical college, and other places and admitted, at

least, 500 small children who had developed serious symptoms, " he said.

In Nagaon also, it is the same story. There are more than 500 cases in the

district alone, while in Nagaon town hospital 6 children with serious

symptoms are undergoing treatment.

Talking to the press, Dr Barman said: " It is true that after vitamin A is

administered to children who are weak and suffer from malnutrition, they

can have after-effects like pain in the abdomen, vomiting and high fever. "

UNICEF supplies earlier used to come with a spoon meant for the exact dose

of vitamin A. It is for the first time that the spoon size was changed to

one capable of holding 5 ml, which is 2-1/2 times more than the normal

dose. Auer, UNICEF's state representative in Kolkata, admitted that

this was for the first time that the changed spoon has been used for

administering the doses.

[byline: P P Singh]

--

ProMED-mail

<promed@...>

[As with many press reports it is difficult to figure out what is going on

in this current report. This report mentions an outbreak of a febrile

illness associated with vomiting and abdominal pain felt to be temporally

related to receipt of Vitamin A supplement in a state-wide program. There

is speculation in the article that the illness is due to a contaminated

batch of the vitamin supplement or due to an overdose administered.

Ruling out a contamination based on the recent production of the vitamin is

less than confirmatory. The latter situation postulated, an overdose, has

been a concern in evaluations of Vitamin A supplementation programs in the

field, especially for the population less than 6 months old. The second

article suggests a recent change in administration spoon, which may have

facilitated administration of a higher than recommended dose.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in

children. It has been associated with an increase in risk of disease and

death from severe infections. Measles mortality and diarrheal

disease-related mortality have been shown to be associated with VAD. In

addition, VAD is associated with night blindness in pregnant women, and

there is some evidence to suggest there may be an increased risk of

maternal mortality associated with VAD. There is a WHO-sponsored program

to combat VAD

<http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases/en/vitamina/sitemap.shtml>

Side-effects of Vitamin A supplementation have been reported. In children

ages 6 to 59 months, loose stools, headache, irritability, fever, nausea

and vomiting in 1.5 to 7 percent of children. These side-effects disappear

within 24-48 hours without special treatment. In infants under 6 months of

age there has been an increase incidence of transient bulging fontanelle

reported in 0.5 to 10 percent of recipients.

<http://www.who.int/vaccines-diseases/en/vitamina/science/sci04.shtml>

More information on this outbreak and the outcome of the investigations

would be appreciated. - Mod.MPP

Some selected references on VAD and Vitamin A supplementation.

1. Beaton GH, Martorell R. Aronson KA et al. Effectiveness of vitamin A

supplementation in the control of young child morbidity and mortality in

developing countries. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto, 1993.

<http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F154e/8F154E04.htm>

2. Mahalanabis D, Bhan MK. Micronutrients as adjunct therapy of acute

illness in children: impact on the episode outcome and policy implications

of current findings. Br J Nutr. 2001 May;85 Suppl 2:S151-8.

3. Tomkins A. Malnutrition, morbidity and mortality in children and their

mothers. Proc Nutr Soc. 2000 Feb;59(1):135-46.

4. Humphrey JH, West KP Jr, Sommer A. Vitamin A deficiency and

attributable mortality among under-5-year-olds. Bull World Health Organ.

1992;70(2):225-32.

5. Semba RD. Vitamin A, immunity, and infection. Clin Infect Dis. 1994

Sep;19(3):489-99.

6. Sommer A. Vitamin A, infectious disease, and childhood mortality: a 2

solution? J Infect Dis. 1993 May;167(5):1003-7.

7. Fawzi WW, Chalmers TC, Herrera MG, Mosteller F. Vitamin A

supplementation and child mortality. A meta-analysis. JAMA. 1993 Feb

17;269(7):898-903.

8. Glasziou PP, Mackerras DE. Vitamin A supplementation in infectious

diseases: a meta-analysis. BMJ. 1993 Feb 6;306(6874):366-70.]

.................mpp/pg/es

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********

History being rewritten even as we speak! Quickly going to download those

links before they take them off too!

Re: Re - Polio Vaccine Deaths in India

Dear Ms. Dorey,

I do not have first hand knowledge of the details. I came across the

report from the BBC, thought it of interest to others, and so

forwarded it to Promed.

As it turned out, the BBC report might be inaccurate, instead the

cause might be vitamin A that was given to the children (see Promed:

http://www.promedmail.org:/pls/promed/promed.searchhtml.showmail?p_filename=

20011113.2798 & p_year=2001 & p_month=11)

The BBC web page has since been amended to take the blame off of the

vaccine (although many of the links to poliovirus/vaccine in the

sidebar are still there).

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

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