[india-drug] Injectable Polio Vaccine

["Dr Gopal Dabade" <dabadedr@yahoo.com>]

Injectable Polio Vaccine
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I am writing this letter on behalf of Drug Action Forum ? Karnataka, expressing concern over government?s policies relating to national polio program. 
  I was one of the invited experts to the Indian Medical Association Subcommittee on Immunization, which was held on 14th May 2006 and examined the problem of polio closely. The idea that magic bullets (repeated doses of oral polio vaccine OPV) can solve what is essentially a 'water and sanitation problem,' was ill conceived from the start. The new prescription of using injectable polio vaccine (IPV) in a pulsed manner in polio affected areas, is even more counter-intuitive, and is bound to be another costly failure.
  IPV has an advantage over OPV in that it is less sensitive to temperature fluctuations and is less likely to be inactivated by breaks in cold chain. However IPV affords little herd immunity. Literally every child will need to be immunized with IPV before we can eliminate polio. We have not achieved 100% immunization with an easy-to-administer oral vaccine ? the coverage will be much worse if we approach these children with a syringe and needle. 
  On a more pragmatic plain, Drug Action Forum ? Karnataka feels strongly that the Government of India must not introduce IPV without first ensuring capacity to produce the vaccine cheaply within the country. The imported IPV is 25 times more costly than OPV. It is unacceptable to introduce the injectable vaccine now with donor assistance and when the funding dries up to introduce a user-fee that will increase the divide between the rich and the poor. 
  I am herewith sending as attachment* a photocopy of the report of IMA on Polio Eradication Initiative held on 14th May 2006. 
  I hope you will look into the matter urgently and expect you will write back. 
         Yours truly
  (Dr Gopal Dabade)
   
  From
  Dr Gopal Dabade, President, Drug Action Forum ? Karnataka,
Dr Gopal Dabade <dabadedr@yahoo.com>
* Please copy and send the report,for list serve

 			
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