According to a recent article published in the Hindustan Times [3], Indian doctors have once again questioned the safety and efficiency of new vaccinations that have recently been added to the national immunization schedule.
The article, which was written by a team of public health professionals led by Dr. Yogesh Jain, stated that:
A public debate on the addition of new vaccines to the national immunisation schedule has been necessitated by recent developments. First, a few years ago, the hepatitis B vaccine was included in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP), which initially included six vaccines. Second, the pentavalent vaccine — a combination vaccine against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis and hepatitis B — is being introduced in a phased manner in the UIP, with attendant concerns. Third, a slew of new vaccines against rotavirus, rubella, human papilloma virus, pneumococci and the injectable inactivated polio vaccine are under consideration. It is sobering to realise that we still have no vaccine in the works for major infections like dengue and falciparum malaria.