India uses Cheap Ineffective Vaccines

Jacob Puliyel from The Guardian responds to the article Why fear of vaccination is spelling disaster with the developing world by Vivienne Parry. He agrees with most of what Parry is trying to convey, which is the fact that India is utilizing cost-reduced ineffective vaccines for Hib, or Haeomophilus Influenzae. Puliyel believes that many of these funds could be directed to better welfare programs and other basic needs in India such as clean water. Vaccines for pneumonia would also be viewed as a higher priority.

Treating the four cases of pneumonia in India, using WHO protocol, would cost $1. The pneumococcus strains prevalent in India are nearly all sensitive to inexpensive antibiotics like penicillin. In the US, which has been using the pneumococcal vaccine, there has been a strain shift – strains covered in the vaccine are being replaced by more antibiotic resistant strains. Vaccine has simply made the problem of pneumococcal disease worse. Yet this vaccine is being pushed in Africa and Asia.

Many companies who urge these useless vaccines are marking an increase of profit simply because of false advertising. By making it cheaper than domestic vaccine values, they are able to persuade the locals of India to buy this seemingly helpful vaccine. Puliyel puts out great statistical data that there have been multiple experiments which have disproved the actual healing of the Hib disease. Jacob Puliyel gives a valid point that the statements by Inidan Lobbying groups are absolutely false and that these groups are only looking for economic profit.