WHO (World Health Organization) citing a research carried out by doctors in the Department of Paediatrics in Delhi's St Stephens hospital has said that Pneumonia Vaccine increases Asthma risk. The latest report is published in the September edition of the WHO Bulletin. The report claims that Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is ineffective in tackling pneumonia cases in India.

 

The issue has come when Indian Health Secretary Naresh Dayal has said that government has decided to protect children against pneumoccocal diseases, and the PCV will be introduced in the country's national immunization program in a year's time. Moving towards the execution of its decision government even has asked 'Wyeth,' a MNC to supply the vaccine to the ministry.

 

On the other hand, researchers of St Stephens hospital, Jacob Puliyel and Soma Chowdhary said that PCV does not reduce the incidence of clinical pneumonia and poor nations will need to assess its cost utility carefully. They concluded that they have found that only 3.6 children per 1,000 vaccinated acquire immunity against the pneumonia, whereas the risk of asthma is doubled by the vaccination.