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The connection is that in 2002, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) acquired shares in Merck and the charge is that the BMGF along with an organisation called GAVI (a vaccine alliance funded by BMGF) are pushing a vaccine agenda in India and other places in the world in collusion with health authorities who are recommending the use of vaccines without proper testing; actions amounting to vaccine fraud.It has long been an ugly truth that Indian lives are cheaper compared with their western counterparts. Poorer sections of Indian communities are routinely used as human guinea pigs, subject to testing by pharmaceutical companies - testing that could be illegal or expensive or impossible in western nations; testing that is most often done without informed consent and at times by employing coercion, concealment and other underhand tactics.

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The charge made by community health activists against BMGF and GAVI (which has members from pharma companies on its board) is that they are working with WHO and UNICEFto promote vaccine use among the poorer countries; in populations that typically wouldn't be able to afford them. Some commentators are referring to the incident as "fraud" perpetrated on third world where the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and their "vaccine empire are under fire".

The perception is that vaccine empires in the western world are crumbling, and Big Pharma is looking to consolidate its position by plugging expensive and often unnecessary drugs in poorer nations in collusion with local authorities.

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One in a line of questionable activities by international pharmaceutical companies in India refers to the HPV vaccine made by American company Merck, which happens to be one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The United States government earns royalty on the sale of Merck's vaccine and there is a strong perception that any negative news report against this vaccine is not only discouraged but actively squashed. In the US, well known news broadcaster Katie Couric was made to apologise for her interview with a mother whose daughter died after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. Later the assistant Surgeon General appeared on her show to assure everyone the vaccine was safe.

The actions of the pharma company promoting their vaccine ruthlessly in India have been termed as 'fraud' and a PIL against Merck including its part owner the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is currently pending in Supreme Court of India.

Problems with the HPV vaccine

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The HPV vaccine Gardasil, manufactured by Merck has been widely administered to about 16,000 girls in a Telengana district in 2009. Many of these girls fell ill and 5 died. More deaths associated with the HPV vaccine were also reported from Gujarat, when Cervarix, manufactured by GSK was administered. A significant proportion of consent forms for conducting studies were found to have only thumb impressions, while even more were found to be signed by hostel wardens where the girls stayed or by often illiterate guardians.

Negative reactions to the vaccine have been reported from Colombia as well. There are several lawsuits pending in Spain and France with regard to the vaccine. According to former doctor of Merck's, the HPV vaccine could be "the greatest medical scandal of all time." While Japan has halted the vaccine to begin inquiry into safety issues concerning the vaccine, Israel is also considering cancellation of the vaccine due to side effects.

PIL Against Merck

In a Public Interest Litigation initiated by Kalpana Mehta and others in the Supreme Court, a Writ Petition is filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. A detailed report on controversial vaccine studies was carried by the Economic Times, which has sparked discussion on blogs, social networking sites and elsewhere.

Respondents include the Movements of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, Merck, GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health ) a US based NGO. The PIL seeks reliefs including full access to the studies and research relating to the vaccine, a study into the adverse reactions caused by the administration of the vaccine, to determine culpability of PATH, and to start criminal investigations into the actions of the respondents as well as the revocation of licences and halting of further trials. The petitioner also seeks directions for compensation and continuing medical treatment of those affected by the vaccine.

In connection with the matter, The Supreme Court asked the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) who are also respondents in the PIL to explain how permissions were given.

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The PIL levels many charges against Merck and GSK: that trails were conducted on children without previous trials on adults, that trials continued despite suspension of trials, that people were induced to participate in the trial on false assurances and economically vulnerable sections such as tribals were targeted, there was no control group and no medical care was given to the trial participants. (Source - The Liberty Beacon

The perception is that vaccine empires in the western world are crumbling, and Big Pharma is looking to consolidate its position by plugging expensive and often unnecessary drugs in poorer nations in collusion with local authorities.