35 questions for Chairperson ASAP-India

To
Dr Nitin Shah, Former President IAP,
Chairperson,
Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP),
India.

DT: 31.10.08

Dear Dr Shah,

Namaste. Wish you a very happy Deepavali. This is a open letter to you. I would like to congratulate you for heading the ASAP-India. I would also like to thank you for deciding to save the lives of 2 lakh children annually who, as per your estimates, suffer from the 10-15 strains of the 94 strains of pneumonia that the vaccine you promote protects from.

I would like to ask you a few questions:

1. What is the name of this vaccine?
2. Who manufactures this?
3. Where was this vaccine tested in Asia?
4. Which was the hospital involved? Did it have all the facilities to test this vaccine? Were all protocols, medical and ethical,followed while this trial was conducted? Was informed consent of participants taken?
5. Who were the doctors who certified the study? I would like to have their full names, qualifications, background and if there was any conflict of interest.
6. Where is the full text of the study? Who funded this study?
7. Where have the tests, which have confirmed that 2 lakh children in India die from
10-15 strains of pneumonia that this vaccine protects from, been conducted?
8. How many children in India suffer from these 10-15 strains? Where have these tests confirming this been conducted and by whom?
9. If the vaccine is so beneficial and so effective why is the Government of India waiting for another one year to introduce this?
10. Do you have the permission from the Health Ministry to advocate for this vaccine?
11. What are the short term and long term side effects of this vaccine? Where have these studies been conducted? We require the full details please.
12. Which vaccine was used as the "placebo" for safety trials?
13. Is it true as has been discussed in WHO journals that this vaccine makes children susceptible to asthma?
14. What are the ingredients of this vaccine?
15. What are the individual side effects of each of the ingredients?
16. How do these vaccine ingredients interact amongst themselves?
17. What are the heavy metals used in this vaccine?
18. What are the carcinogens in this vaccine?
19. What are the neurotoxins in this vaccine?
20. Which animal/human serum/tissues have been used?
21. What are the antibiotics in this vaccine?
22. Have genetically modified viruses been used?
23. Which particular test has made you sure about the efficacy of this vaccine?
24. How is this vaccine going to be administered?
25. Does this vaccine take care of both humoral and cell mediated immunity?
26. Has the public been taken into confidence about the way the vaccine has been tested, certified, and the side effects of the vaccine? What made you decide that this vaccine can be indiscriminately to all children without taking into consideration their health history, family history and without testing for their possible allergic reaction to any of the vaccine ingredients? What about those who are genetically susceptible to toxic damage? How do you intend to screen the children?
27. What is the protocol to treat children who suffer from side effects of this vaccine?
28. What is the procedure to record adverse effects from this vaccine?
29. Will the adverse effects noted be available for public scrutiny?
30. What will be the medico legal options for parents whose children suffer from adverse effects?
31. What is the amount of compensation that will be paid to infants who die from he adverse effects of this vaccine?
32. Who will pay the compensation?
33. Who is the responsible person who can be held liable in case this vaccine is proved to be ineffective and/or associated with severe adverse effects?
34. In countries where this vaccine has been allowed what are ALL the side effects that have been noted?
35. What is the source of funding of the ASAP? Can we have the list of people/organisations who have financially supported it? Who, besides you, are the other members of this organisation and their current occupation and background?

This letter does not debar us from asking further questions. We hope you will share the reply with ALL of us. We are very much interested to know. We will ask further questions upon receipt of the answers.

If you are unable to answer the questions or you think that these questions are irrelevant kindly let us know.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
Jagannath Chatterjee.
jagchat01@yahoo.com
Citizen of India.

cc: Doctors/activists/policy makers/medico legal experts/public health experts/academicians who may be interested to know more about this vaccine.


One vaccine decreases cell-mediated immunity by 50%, two vaccines by 70%…all triple vaccines (MMR, DTaP) markedly impair cell-mediated immunity, which predisposes to recurrent viral infections - Dr H H Fudenberg, world renowned immunologist.