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GENERAL PRACTITIONER'S SECTION
PRESCRIPTION OF ‘VACCINES’ IN ADULTS IN MODERN DAYS OF PRIVATE PRACTICE
OP Kapoor
The following vaccines can be prescribed in private practice:-
1. Hepatitis B Vaccine : In any patients in whom HBsAg and Anti HBs are negative, the usual three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine can be prescribed. More so, if the patient had AIDS or CRF and may need long term dialysis or a kidney transplant. There are many other indications, where the above vaccine is a must. The examples are a person having an HBsAg positive spouse or a relative living in a joint family.
2. Oral typhoid vaccine : I always prescribe oral typhoid vaccine to underweight patients, who are undergoing treatment to gain weight and especially if they eat out in hotels frequently. It takes a year or two to gain weight on a high caloric diet and during this period, common diseases which will interfere with the results of this treatment can be prevented with the help of this vaccine.
3. Inj. Pneumococcal Vaccine and Influenza Vaccine : All COPD patients should be advised to take Inj. Pneumococcal vaccine and Influenza vaccine every three years to prevent a fatal attack of pneumonia. All patients of AIDS and other immunosuppressed disorders should be prescribed these vaccines. Influenza vaccine is not easily available.
4. Tetanus toxoid vaccine : After any accident or a severe injury a booster dose of tetanus toxoid should be given.
5. BCG Vaccine : A BCG vaccine is used in the treatment of advanced prostatic cancer patients.
6. Yellow fever vaccine : It is given, in case a person is travelling to Africa.
7. Others : If the modern scientists succeed in the manufacture of malarial and AIDS vaccines, a
IMATINIB FOR CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKAEMIA : A 9 OR 24 CARAT GOLD
STANDARD?
Recent excitement about the addition of imatinib (imatinib mesylate, Gleevec, STI-571) to the
choice of drugs available to patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is justified.
Resistance to imatinib has unfortunately also been documented.
Lancet, 2003; 361 : 1400.
