Nigeria Polio Vaccines Safe, Untainted, says World Health Organization
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NVIC's BL Fisher Notes:
Another big problem in the African mass vaccination campaigns is the
inappropriate use of live oral polio vaccine in children with HIV or other
immune system disorders. A vaccine safety advocate from Uganda, who presented
information at NVIC's Third International Public Conference on Vaccination in November
2002, described what happens when African children suffering with HIV are
given OPV in the mass vaccination campaigns conducted by the WHO and government
public health officials with the support of military forces. Many of these
children die after being vaccinated repeatedly with OPV and so families are
fleeing into the bush to escape the soldiers with guns and syringes in an effort to
protect their children.
Live virus vaccines, such as OPV, are contraindicated in the presence of
immune suppression. The one-size-fits-all utilitarian approach to disease
control in both the US and Africa, devalues the life of the individual in
service to the majority, and over the long term causes a crisis of trust in the hearts
and minds of the people. When individual life is devalued by government, the
people lose faith in government-operated programs because they love their
children more than they fear what government officials they don't trust are
telling them. A better way is to tailor vaccination policies to the individual so
parents know doctors and public health officials value every child's life
and no child is written off as expendable.
www.truthnews.net/daily/2003100221.htm
TruthNews
October 27, 2003
Nigeria Polio Vaccines Safe, Untainted, says WHO
Lisa Schlein, Voice of America
The World Health Organization says polio vaccines it is using in Nigeria are
safe and untainted. Islamic clerics in the states of Kaduna, Kano, and
Zamfara suspended the polio immunization programs on Sunday, claiming the
vaccine is unsafe.
The Nigerian Islamic clerics say the vaccine used in WHO's polio campaign is
contaminated with substances that can cause HIV/AIDS, cancers, and sterility
in women.
The Head of WHO's Global Polio Eradication Program, David Heymann, said he
has been aware of these concerns for the last three or four weeks. He said
he has made several trips to the area, and has looked at the vaccines that
the Islamic groups reject as unsafe. "I have to say that our vaccines are
pure vaccines, provided by UNICEF to countries working on polio eradication,
and the same vaccines are used throughout the world. So, we are sure that
these vaccines are pure. We understand that there have been some findings
that might suggest that there would be elements of hormones, female hormones
or family planning elements in the vaccine. But, our studies have not shown
that to be the case. All the vaccine comes from manufacturers who are
pre-qualified by WHO," he said.
The Nigerian Islamic clerics say immunizations against polio will be
suspended, until an investigation into the purity of the vaccine is
completed. WHO says it is concerned that this position could adversely
affect its efforts to eradicate polio around the world by the end of 2005.
Dr. Heymann said about 13 percent of the children in the three northern
Nigerian States have been immunized against polio. He said more than 100
children have been paralyzed because of lack of vaccination.
In an ominous sign, he said, cases of polio spread from northern Nigeria to
the center and south of the country, even to the city of Lagos with its 10
million inhabitants.
Dr. Heymann said Islamic heads of state passed a resolution making polio
eradication a priority at the Organization of Islamic Conference 12 days ago
in Malaysia. He said indigenous polio is present in only seven countries
around the world. Six of them are Islamic countries.
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