Hyderabad: US varsities are wary of Indian students presenting false vaccine certificates of measles and chicken pox and medical reports proclaiming them to be free from tuberculosis. This came to light as some US varsities have checked back with the Institute of Preventive Medicine about the certification process in India.
The vaccine programme is enforced by educational centres abroad as part of preventive healthcare but has not been made mandatory by the US government. A senior official from the United States Consulate said, “Only tetanus, diphtheria and yellow fever require certification from the Institute of Preventive Medicine. For other vaccines as prescribed by universities, private certification is valid.”
In January 2015, a group of students who had gone to study in universities abroad had their blood samples tested for vaccination. Educational counselor Aarthi Reddy said, “These students fell sick and contracted measles. As the university had specified vaccination, they were very upset that it was not followed. The treatment cost the students and it also raised issues of compliance among Indian students. Since then, they are again verifying the vaccination process and the methods followed in India.”
A senior health officer at Institute of Preventive Medicine said, “The students spend lakhs of rupees on admission fees, counselors and also run around getting verification for documents but pay little attention to their health requirements. Either they come in the last minute and create a ruckus or they go to a private clinic and get a false certificate,” the health officer said.
“Some of them take the vaccines too late wherein the three weeks required for the anti-bodies to form is not there,” he added.
Every university has its own set of priorities for vaccination and sometimes the education counselors explain them at the last moment. A senior health officer explained, “In Institute of Preventive Medicine too, all vaccines are administered at a price. But some students try to save on the cost. The cost in India is less when compared to what they end up paying in the United States for the vaccines.”
The admissions for universities in the United States are in two sessions, with the first round being in June-July and the second at the end of December. In the last four years, the number of students going abroad from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has increased tremendously.
The Narayanaguda-based Institute of Preventive Medicine records show that on an average 4,000 students are getting vaccinated every year, but there is a small percentage that skips. This percentage ends up giving rise to a round of queries and negative remarks from the universities.
