Post-vaccination Shock

Mass vaccinations of Ukrainian young people against measles and rubella started unexpectedly early – ten days before the planned term. During the first five days of vaccination, more than 70 thousand young people were vaccinated. The first results of this mass campaign are terrifying – a seventeen-year-old young man died after vaccination in Kramatorsk (Donetsk region). Additionally, 68 young men and women were hospitalized due to complains about physical impairment.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine doesn’t see any reasons to stop this mass vaccination, which rather resembles a mass experiment. This is, at least, what was stated at the briefing organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine conjointly with the UNICEF and WHO representative offices. The health care officials were repeating that vaccination would protect Ukrainian young people from measles and rubella as well as help Europe to get rid of measles. What price will the population of Ukraine pay to help Europe – nobody knows. It is only known that there are 11 contraindications to this type of vaccination. However, who will take them into consideration when there are exact vaccination terms defined by the Ministry and it is required to vaccinate not less than 95% of population? Besides, the doctors conducting vaccination have received distinct orders (but only verbal orders!) to not connect the physical impairment of young people with vaccination – there shouldn’t be any post-vaccination syndromes.

Interestingly, the officials of the health services do not admit that they have received any orders of that kind and state that the quality the Indian vaccine is irreproachable so there shouldn’t be any complications. We could believe this if not for a tragedy in Kramatorsk. The state committee investigated the situation in Kramatorsk. The results of this investigation were read out at the briefing by the first vice Minister of Health of Ukraine, Chief State Sanitary Inspector of Ukraine, N. Prodanchuk:

— The death of the young man is not connected with the vaccination. The State Committee is examining the situation, and even though there are no final results yet, we are sure that the death of seventeen-year-old Anton is not connected with the vaccination. It is completely different from the situation in Luhansk where a girl felt ill after being vaccinated, but our doctors immediately took care of her and saved her from anaphylactic shock. This is more proof for the fact that our system is ready for conducting such a mass vaccination. We are fully satisfied with these results.

The question “Can you be so sure that the death of Anton is not connected with the vaccination when looking into the eyes of his mother?” followed the statement.

— Yes. I think that the vaccine has nothing to do with his death!

I would like to remind our readers that we discussed the matter of vaccination against measles and rubella several times (see ZN #4, 2008 – “Why do we need this vaccination against measles and rubella?”, and ZN # 10, 2008 – “Is Ukraine a vaccination “umbrella” for Europe?”). Our political weekly also tried to initiate a round table for the healthcare officials speaking in favor of vaccination and those physicians and scientists, who had warned about possible negative consequences of vaccination and insisted on, at least, officially registering of this Indian vaccine as it is required by the law.

A lot of pressing questions asked at the briefing were left without clear answers. During our journalists’ investigations we found answers to many of those questions. We will publish our conclusions on this matter in one of the following issues of ZN.