A man in a white coat, smiles, offers an injection to an infant who is alone.
“Innoculation is the perfect Medication” he tells the child after dancing and singing with a syringe. The nurse tells the children elsewhere that if they are vaccinated with the MMR they won’t get the Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Will it hurt asks the boy, well it might says DR Ranj, but you can cry if you want to. Without waiting for an OK, the doc injects the boy who says “I am not ready for my ‘jection”, but the doc marvels
“I have already done it”.
1. Is it legal to promote medicines to children suggesting that they are 100% safe?
NHS website reports side effects & so should the BBC…
and the UK has a vaccine damage payment fund for those left more than 60% disabled.
Jackie Fletcher whose 20 year old son can’t speak or walk, is doubly incontinent and who has fits every day. His injury was officially linked to the MMR this year and received a payment under the Vaccine Damage Payment Fund.
2. Is it ethical to promote medicines to children suggesting that they are 100% effective?
The efficacy rate is more like 95% so tens of thousands of kids every year will have the MMR but it will not work for them. 5% of a million a year.
An adult may be able to separate the truth from a GP with make up and a cartoon character but a child may not.
How many children saw this show alone and will have been left with the idea that medicines and syringes are totally safe and work without fail? How will the BBC find these hundreds of thousands of children and their families and apologise for promoting the dangerous image that it is OK for a single male to coerce a lone child into an injection that carries a potential risk.
I had to complain
The reply was returned as quick as you could say “No conflicts of Interests” with the opening line “Firstly, we’d like to reassure everyone that no programme on CBeebies receives commercial sponsorship of any kind.” Obvious what other complaints they had received that morning, but nothing in response to my concerns.
Please lets be clear with our children:
* children should not be left alone with an unfamiliar adult,
even if they are dressed in a white coat
* children should never play with needles
* children should never be asked to make a decision to take a medication or injection without a guardian to share in making an informed choice
* No medication is totally safe and effective, in fact some children are seriously injured
If you are not happy with your reply you can escalate it -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/complaints_and_appeals/