A Documentary Film THE GREATER GOOD looks behind the fear, hype and politics that have polarized the vaccine debate in America today. The film re-frames the emotionally charged issue and offers, for the first time, the opportunity for a rational and scientific discussion on how to create a safer and more effective vaccine program. Latest […]
Vaccine-related deaths triples after closure of govt labs
Timesofindia.indiatimes
Arun Ram, TNN | Mar 19, 2011, 04.47am IST
CHENNAI: The number of children dying due to immunization-related complications has more than tripled after the government closed down three public sector vaccine labs in January 2008. The government has no clue about the causes while children continue to die, the latest being that of five infants in Gujarat on Wednesday.
Details given by the Union ministry of health and family welfare in reply to an RTI query filed by Dr KV Babu of Payyanur show that 111 children died in 2008 due to “adverse effect after immunisation (AEFI)”. AEFI is a general term that covers various reasons, including bad vaccine quality due to break in cold chain, contamination and complications due to pre-existing conditions of the child.
In 2009, the latest year for which the ministry has given details, 116 children died due to AEFI. In contrast, 32 children lost their lives to AEFI in 2007.
Are All Recommended Immunizations Necessary?
Making heads or tail of the immunization alphabet; be your child’s best advocate.
Bethlehem.patch
Last month, Pediatrics, the Official Journal of the AAP, published new recommendations from for childhood and adolescent immunization schedules in 2011, approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
With new recommendations including Prevnar 13, MC4V, Tdap, Td, Hib and the HPV4 (either the Gardasil or Cervarix). Of course, always recommended are two doses of the flu vaccine.
* Prevnar 13 booster of the varicella shot for chicken pox.
* Td is the tetanus which should be administered at least every 7 years but the intervals and combination with other vaccines has been reevaluted.
* Tdap, a.k.a. pertussis, a.k.a. whooping cough vaccine revised recommendations are a direct response to national outbreaks of whooping cough.
* A booster of MC4V, referring to the meningococcal vaccine, is recommended for adolescents to prevent meningitis.
* HPV4 refers to the human papilloma virus and is given not only to girls but also is recommended for boys ages 9 – 18 to stave off the likelihood of acquiring genital warts. I shudder at thought
* A third dose HepB, hepatitis B is recommended for toddlers who did not receive the first dose at birth.
* PCV and the PPSV, not the plastic pipes under your kitchen sink, are recommended to prevent pneumococcular disease, otherwise known as pneumonia or sepsis caused by bacterial infections.
* The TIV or the LAIV, influenza vaccines, the difference between the two being whether or not your child is being injected with the live virus or not.
What does this vegetable soup mean to parents? While many blindly follow the recommendations of their doctor, trusting in the infinite wisdom of pediatricians, there is still some debate over whether or not immunizations are at all necessary. Is this just more fear mongering from a medical model industry that wants to push even more drugs on our children or is this truly looking out for their best interests?
N.J. Assemblyman rejects parents' plea for more say on kids' vaccinations
HJ.com
Published: Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 6:10 AM Updated: Tuesday, March 08, 2011, 9:16 AM
By Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — The impassioned debate went on for more than an hour — despite witnesses being limited to only 90 seconds per statement.
But a bill that would allow parents to claim a conscientious objection from having their children vaccinated was firmly shot down Monday by the chairman of the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee, who called it a “recipe for disaster.”
The debate marked the first time in seven years the controversial proposal was put up for formal discussion in the Assembly, and had appeared for a time to be gaining some momentum.
