Over the weekend and in today’s El Caribe, reports emerged that a multinational drug company is testing an anti-diarrhoea vaccine in countries that include the Dominican Republic. The tests are being conducted by Glaxo Smith Kline Biologicals and seek to test the efficiency of the vaccine against the human rotavirus, which has caused millions of infant deaths. In the Dominican Republic, 1,400 infants between 6 and 12 weeks old are participating in the study. El Caribe questions, however, whether the parents of the children are being completely informed as to the possible effects of the clinical study. The president of the Dominican College of Medicine (formerly the Dominican Medical Association), Severo Mercedes, told reporters that he became aware of the testing through the newspaper. According to him, any such study would have to include the participation of the CMD. The tests, however, have already begun – and not without some controversy. Apparently, a similar version of the vaccine was approved for use in the United States, but was withdrawn from the market when intestinal blockages requiring surgery occurred in several instances. The resulting malady, called “intestinal invagination” is a serious and life-threatening obstruction of the intestine. While only two cases have been reported, according to El Caribe, they were sufficiently significant to merit further studies. El Caribe says that while the documentation is very complete, it does say that there is one chance in 2,000 to 5,000 that this obstruction will occur. Parents of the children included in the research are told to take the child to the Robert Reid Children’s Hospital should any diarrhoea occur. The full story is on Page 2 of El Caribe. http://elcaribe.com.do