Rotavirus vaccine being launched in India.

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Publication: Times of India Mumbai; Date:2007 Jan 14; Section:Times City; Page Number 6 HEALTH MATTERS Injectable

vaccine for polio soon TIMES NEWS NETWORK Mumbai: The government is likely to start a pilot project using an injectable polio vaccine to control the resurgence of polio in Uttar Pradesh, said members of the Indian Association of Paediatricians on Saturday. At an ongoing seminar in the city, where pharmaceutical companies showcased their soon-to-be-introduced vaccines for paediatricians, the polio outbreak of 2006 — which saw 614 cases as against 62 in 2005—was one of the central themes. Mumbai also has seen three cases of polio since September, which public health experts believe was ‘exported’ from Uttar Pradesh. The IAP, had earlier written to the Centre recommending that IPV be added to the immunisation programme. Dr Raju Shah, who is a member of IAP’s immunisation committee, said: “IAP had recommended to the government the use of IPV in Uttar Pradesh along with the existing oral polio vaccine. This is because two shots of the IPV has a 99.5% success of stopping the virus as against the 80 per cent success rate of OPV after 10 doses.’’ The government, he added, may start a pilot project using the IPV in a few UP districts. However, when TOI called DG of health services, Delhi, Dr R K Srivastava, he said there was no such plans. Another vaccine

to be discussed was the rotavirus, which kills about one lakh children in India every year. “The rotavirus vaccine, which has to be given in two oral doses to a child before six months of age, is in use in 11 countries, especially in Latin American countries that see many rotavirus cases,’’ said pharma representative Norman Begg. Rotavirus causes acute gastroenteritis among children who are less than two years old.

"We have allowed (the drugs) industry to subvert the rules of science. We have watched quietly as governments and academics have colluded with industry to hide information critical to our patients. We have remained silent as our medical schools have churned out graduates who have no knowledge of the dilemmas and scandals of medicine. We have allowed many of our medical journals to become corrupted and timid," - Dr Aubrey Blumsohn

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