Experts call for end of propaganda against life-saving vaccines

Microbiologists and experts of infectious diseases told an awareness seminar on Friday that thousands of Pakistani children were suffering, becoming crippled for life and dying due to misconceptions about vaccines.

They said vaccines were life-saving products which were being provided free of charge by the health authorities in Pakistan to prevent death and disability among children.

On the one hand, people were decrying the unavailability of the anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), which prevented victims of dog bites from developing rabies encephalitis, and on the other they were not ready to get their children vaccinated against polio, typhoid and several other vaccine-preventable diseases, they added.

Health experts also urged the media to play a positive role in the prevention of diseases, upgrade their scientific knowledge, and learn about medicines and vaccines and the importance of immunisation, saying that due to sensational reporting on some minor and irrelevant incidents, thousands of people had refused to get their children vaccinated against typhoid and previously against polio.

The seminar, which focused on the current situation of polio, extensively drug-resistant typhoid, influenza and HIV/AIDS at the Karachi Press Club, was organised by the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP).

It was addressed by Dr Bushra Jamil, president of the MMIDSP, Dr Fyezah Jahan, who spoke on the current typhoid situation, the safety of the typhoid vaccine and the approaching influenza season, Dr Ali Saleem, who talked about the polio situation in Pakistan, Dr Sunil Dodani, who discussed the current HIV situation in Sindh and the way forward, and Dr Rehana Siddiqui, who highlighted the recent HIV outbreak in Ratodero.

Dr Bushra Jamil said that despite the efforts being made, Pakistan had been unsuccessful in eradicating polio, largely because of misinformation about the vaccine safety and consequent refusals by parents.

“Pakistan has reported the highest number of polio cases this year. The virus continues to be isolated from sewage and this is generally taken as a surrogate marker of risk to population in proximity of such areas,” she said and added that the only way to eradicate polio was that all children should receive oral polio vaccine along with the inactivated polio vaccine as part of routine immunisation and through supplementary campaigns.

She maintained that the oral polio vaccine was completely safe and the most effective vaccine against the polio virus. She added that parents should never refuse the polio vaccine during campaigns even if the child had completed the routine polio vaccines’ schedule.

Dr Fyezah Jahan said extensively drug-resistant typhoid had emerged in Sindh over the last two years, and it was a serious infection which was difficult to treat, requiring prolonged use of costly antibiotics, and it could cause death, especially in young children.

“The introduction of the typhoid vaccine, through school campaigns, is a timely strategy, which is expected to be highly effective in protecting children between the ages of nine months to 15 years from this deadly infection. The typhoid vaccine is safe and like any other vaccine can cause local pain and mild, self-limiting fever. It will soon be available commercially for individuals of all age groups,” she added.

Dr Sunil Dodani told the participants that HIV infection was on the rise, saying that although the main modes of transmission among key populations remained sexual, the sharing of needles and syringes among IV drug users, unregulated, excessive use of injections with unsterilised syringes and transfusion of unscreened blood.

The outbreak of HIV in Ratodero appeared to be primarily the consequence of reuse of syringes and in case of thalassemic children, unsafe transfusion, he added.

Other experts said that with the approach of winter, they expected to see an increase in viral respiratory tract infections. The most serious one was influenza, which was primarily spread through contact and droplets, they added.

Although treatable with antivirals, prevention is better than cure. Infection can have serious consequences for the very young and old and those with poor immune status. The infection can be prevented through timely administration of flu vaccine.