Innocent victim: All shots are not foolproof

Public opinion has been able to achieve in the US what we in India or other developing countries would not dare dream of. After Iowa, the state of California has passed a legislation to ban the use of toxic mercury in vaccines. Henceforth, children below the age of three years and expectant mothers in California won't be given vaccines containing mercury.

That mercury is a neurotoxin is known for long. However, thiomersal, a compound containing 50 per cent mercury, has been allowed to be used in vaccines worldwide to increase their shelf-life and discourage growth of virus and bacteria. Consumer groups and informed citizens have long opposed this practice, particularly in the US.

There have been serious allegations of thiomersal leading to autism ' a brain disorder that begins during childhood and affects development of skills related to communication and creativity. In 1999, in the wake of concerns about the possible toxicity among children, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that vaccine-makers stop using thiomersal. But that, probably, was not enough. A June 2004 study conducted by the Columbia University showed that there had been a 273 per cent increase in the incidence of autism in California alone between 1987 and 1998. Now that the dangerous chemical has been banned, children and expectant mothers will be spared an unnecessary attack on their lives, at least in some areas in the US.

The current medical culture demands an unquestioned faith in vaccines. The propaganda of the companies manufacturing vaccines tells us that raising doubts about the safety of vaccines is unscientific and immoral. They recruit scientists and sanction projects that ultimately justify the composition of their vaccines. In May 2004, for instance, an institute based in Washington declared that there was no link between thiomersal and autism. Methods other than scientific are also used where needs arise, allege consumer groups. Thus, the effort of the state of Missouri to ban the use of mercury in vaccines was stalled by the industry.

Vaccines without mercury are twice as costly as those that contain it. So, banning mercury puts the companies in a disadvantageous position. The concern of the companies is understandable. But the people at the receiving end cannot just allow the profit margins of these companies to increase at the cost of their own lives. That the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the hazards isn't a logic anyone will buy.

In India, where the level of thiomersal is far greater in multi-dose vials of vaccines, there is no effort to impose any ban on the use of mercury in vaccines. We are sticking to vaccination schedules, ignoring any possible damage to the health of children. For us, science has a different meaning ' believing and not asking questions.