To Dr N K Ganguly, Director Indian Council for Medical Research,

This has reference to your statements on the Hib vaccine that has appeared in the Times of India Dt: 29.06.07. It is unfortunate that the Govt of India has decided to add one more vaccine to the already heavy vaccination schedule ignoring our pleas to reform the vaccination process and put in place methods such as informed consent, a proper protocol to treat and report vaccine injury, and also the need for compensation and rehabilitation.

It is even more unfortunate that senior doctors like you should pat the government on the back instead of looking at the most important issue of vaccine safety, and the effect of multiple vaccines on children. It is no wonder that cases of autism, rare cancers, diabetes and paralysis amongst children are skyrocketting today. Autism is growing at the rate of 133% annually in our country where there are more autistic children than cases of cancer, AIDS, and diabetes combined. Besides expressing helplessness and handing over the unfortunate children to psychiatrists and therapists the medical community will do little else.

Regarding the Hi, the b type virus is present in all children. The virus is activated by various factors like malnutrition, low birth weight, autoimmune diseases, and inadequate breastfeeding. It is also activated by a history of vaccinations. Post vaccine fevers run the very high risk of type b meningitis, a fact which is well known by all paediatricians.

As per a NIH study, "Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1982 Jun;21(6):360-4.Lerman, SJ", "A review of the medical literature indicated that low-birth weight infants and patients with leukemia and other malignancies undergoing chemotherapy, splenectomy, congenital asplenia, sickle cell anemia, immunoglobulin deficiency diseases, cerebrospinal fluid shunts, and skull defects are at greater risk for systemic H. influenzae disease than the general population." Then where is the need for mass vaccinations?

Moreover a study among Eskimos who were vaccinated with the Hib vaccine under the impression that Eskimos and Native American population were more susceptible to the virus, it was found that a very large number of the vaccinated children (98% if I remember correctly) developed meningitis after the vaccine.

Before you tell me that the above vaccine has been replaced by the current one that is "absolutely safe", I would also like to inform you that vaccines against the b virus have merely suppressed the activities of the virus vaccinated against and activated other strains of the virus, e and f.

As per the BMJ 1996;312:160-161 (20 January) study, " (After vaccinating against the b strain) Non-capsulate H influenzae isolates have shown an increase inannual attack rate (for all ages) from 0.25 cases per 100000population in 1990-1 (45 cases recorded) to 0.37 in 1993-4 (67cases). The total number of recorded cases of non-type b infections(non-capsulate and other serotypes: 75 cases) exceeded the numberof cases of H influenzae type b (50 cases) in 1993-4. Theseincreases demonstrate a sustained trend, approaching significancefor non-capsulate infections during 1993-4 (P=0.066), whichhas been most noticeable in people aged over 65 years."

As per a NIH study, Pediatrics. 1978 Dec;62(6):1021-5., "Review of the literature identified 40 cases of meningitis reported as caused by H. influenzae other than type b. An evaluation of the ten cases described as due to encapsulated strains (a, e, and f) shows that the age distribution and clinical features are similar to those of meningitis caused by type b.....Serious infections caused by other H. influenzae types will continue to occur sporadically and may increase in frequency when an effective vaccine against type b is widely used in infants."

Moreover the vaccine has been, in its many avatars, responsible for Guillain Barre Syndrome (a complete paralytic state), Eur J Pediatr. 1993 Jul;152(7):613-4., deaths, hospitalisations for seizures, bronchial hypereactivity, thrombocytopaenia, nephropathy, and a host of other neurological disorders.

Under the above conditions we would recommend an immediate recall of this vaccine and ensure proper nutrition for both the baby and the mother, and extended breastfeeding. If you are a member of the BPNI, you should know that anything except breastmilk is forbidden for infants below six months of age. Even children of HIV positive mothers are breastfed despite there being the possibility of infection. We wonder about the logic of forcing highly toxic and lethal substances into the bloodstream of little children in the name of "increasing their immunity." Since when have vaccines begun to "strengthen the immune system"?

Kindly let us know what action you propose to take based upon the information provided in this mail. We hope you will look after the interests of the infants and their hapless parents and not strive to achieve the economic health of the notorious and nefarious vaccine lobby.

My child was born perfectly healthy, full of life. He had the potential to achieve anything in life that he would have chosen to do. Because of a short sighted medical system that failed, my child is now a semi vegetative little boy who is lost in his own tortured world of mercury induced autism.When I look upon other healthy six year old children who are playing, communicating and living normal lives, I wonder what might have been with my little boy. I am sure I am not alone in my thoughts. This is a painful and very tragic occurrence. - Courtney L. Zietzke , A Parent.