“I'm not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”

This is what ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry’s character Chandler Bing was known for. He was known for being funny. However, he had his own struggles in his personal life and those struggles were acute depression. He was treating it with ketamine infusion therapy which is legal in the US and the UK.

What is Ketamine infusion therapy?

Ketamine is an anaesthetic used to treat depression, anxiety and pain under supervised and controlled medical settings. However, it does have its side effects, which can lead to distortion of sight, sound and time. It can also produce calming and relaxing effects.

Ketamine increases a person’s heart rate and blood pressure. If overdosed, it can leave users confused and agitated and can cause them to hurt themselves without even realising it. It can also lead to liver damage and bladder problems.

However, when used in moderation and under the supervision of medical doctors, it can treat depression where traditional antidepressants have failed.

Prof Rupert McShane, a University of Oxford psychiatrist who runs an NHS ketamine treatment clinic told BBC that ketamine “probably turns off the area of the brain that is involved in disappointment.”

Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Kill Someone?

In simple terms, it cannot, be if the dosage is given in a controlled setting and as prescribed. Ketamine infusion therapy uses drugs in small doses than those used for anaesthesia. It acts faster than traditional anti-depressants, but the effects also wear off way quickly. Which is why it is important to monitor patients’ mental state for relapsing back into depression and discouraging them from overdosing on it.

There are ways of giving people ketamine. One of the ways is through “infusing”, which means to use an IV drip. However, injections, nasal sprays and capsules are also methods used to give people ketamine.

Since the dosage of ketamine used in the infusion treatment is small, it being the reason of actor Perry’s death was ruled out. The medical examiner also noted that Perry’s last ketamine infusion therapy session happened more than a week before his death, which means by the time he had died, it must have worn off.

So, What Happened To Perry?

Though Perry’s last session was more than a week before, his post-mortem showed that his blood contained a high concentration of ketamine. He had died of the “acute effects” of ketamine.

If it was not his session, then how did he get ketamine?

Prosecutors alleged that his assistant gave him at least 27 shots of ketamine in four days before his death, reported BBC.

Perry has been open about his personal struggles and this is what the doctors and dealers used against him. Martin Estrada, the US attorney for California’s Central District told the BBC that people took advantage of his condition. They charged him 165 times more than what vials of ketamine cost.

Names that have come up include Dr Salvador Plasencia, drug dealers “Ketamine Queen” aka Jasveen Sangha and Eric Fleming, and Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.

Who Are These Names And What Did They Do?

Ketamine Queen or Sangha supplied drugs that led to Perry’s death. Her home was a “drug-selling emporium,” said Estrada. More than 80 vials of ketamine, and thousands of pills including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax were allegedly found in her house known as the “Sangha Stash House.”

Sangha is known to deal with high-end celebs and was a “major source of supply for ketamine to others as well as Perry,” said Estrada.

Dr Plasencia called Perry a “moron” while charging him $2,000 for vials that cost only $12. He sold Perry 20 vials of ketamine between September and October 2023, costing $55,000.

He was the one who taught Iwamasa, who had no medical knowledge to inject the drug. This is after he knew that “Perry’s ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control,” as per what the investigators told the BBC.

Another dealer Fleming was told by Sangha to “delete all our messages.” While Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully, he also allegedly messaged Sangha: “Please call...Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry] only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler.”

The court documents also revealed that he asked Sangha on whether the ketamine stays in your system or “is it immediately flushed out.”

Dr Pepper, Bots, Cans

The people who allegedly exploited Perry used coded language for ketamine and called it “Dr Pepper”, “bots”, or “cans.”

Selling overpriced drugs, taking advantage of Perry’s mental condition and falsifying medical records to make the drugs given to him look legitimate by Dr Plasencia is what took Perry’s life.

Iwamasa is said to have administered more than 20 shots of ketamine and three on the day Perry died. Whereas ketamine is only administered by a physician. Authorities also found that weeks before Perry’s death, Dr Plasencia allegedly bought 10 vials of ketamine and intended to sell to Perry.

He also injected Perry with a large dose, two days later. This caused him to “freeze up” and spiked his blood pressure.

When I Die, I Want Helping Others To Be The First Thing That’s Mentioned

Perry had always been open about his drug addictions, struggles with alcohol and his depression. He said that his openness would help others who are also struggling and wanted to be remembered by his quote which also is on the homepage of the Mattew Perry Foundation that helps others struggling with the disease of addiction: “When I die, I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”

Five arrests have been made in the case so far.

Women, young ones and ones holding their babies, along with some men lined up on the outskirts of Zimbabwe's capital Harare for the injections of a new HIV prevention drug. The country launched it on Thursday. This drug needs to be administered only twice a year.

Why Is This Vaccine So Important For Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe is a country where HIV led to tens of thousands of deaths in the last two decades. It is the first country to roll out lenacapavir, which is a long-acting drug that authorities have put their hopes on to slow down the HIV infection.

What Is So Special About The HIV Injections?

Clinical studies have demonstrated near-total protection for the drug and has been described as a 'turning point' for high risk groups by many experts. However, many have warned that its broad impact would require overcoming funding constraints, infrastructure gaps and the challenge of keeping patients engaged.

Immunologist at Emory University Rama Rao Amara, calls it a "wonder drug". The drug, known as lenacapavir has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is made by Gilead Sciences.

How Does This Drug Differ From Earlier HIV Prevention Drugs?

In 2021, FDA approved injectable form of PrEP medication called cabotegravir, however, this required patients to take it in every two months. This was also an intramuscular dose that healthcare providers were to administer into the buttocks.

What changes with lenacapavir is its easy administration. Each dose lasts longer compared to other medications and requires to be administered twice a year.

Read: 12.4 Lakh HIV Tests In Haryana Detect 5,877 Cases

The limitation with lenacapavir is its price tag of more than $28,000 per person per year. Carmen Pérez Casas, a senior strategy leader at Unitaid, a global health initiative based in Geneva, Switzerland said, "This is unaffordable. We need to get somewhere close to what previous options cost."

However, there is hope as the researchers published an analysis in The Lancet HIV that suggested generic versions of this drug could cost a person $25 per year.

Could This Drug Reshape HIV Prevention?

At the Zimbabwe launch, Constance Mukoloka, a sex worker, was among the first beneficiaries of this roll out which has happened by donor-support across 10 African countries, as reported by PBS News.

"I am safe, I can work with confidence now," said the 27-year-old sex worker. "When I took tablets, customers would see a container of pills and leave. They would never return due to fear," she said. "They couldn't tell the difference between PrEP and treatment drugs. With the work we do, that stigma costs you money."

Daily oral PrEP has been offered in Zimbabwe for years, along with condoms, vaginal rings and shorter-acting injections. However, sticking to the regimen has been difficult, especially for people dealing with stigma or irregular daily routines.

"I work in beer halls looking for clients. Sometimes I would get drunk and forget to take my drugs," Mukoloka said. "Sometimes I would work all night and not have time. Some clients refuse protection. They say ... 'Why should I use protection when I have paid?'"

Mexico has reported more than 2,700 new cases of measles so far this year, as per the government data. Most of these infections have been detected among infants and young children. Not too far away, in the US, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, 900 new cases have been confirmed.

However, unlike in the 1990s, the Secretary of Public Education in Baja California Sur, Alicia Meza Osuna, clarified that it is not a requirement to present the complete vaccination schedule for children to attend schools. However, in the Mexican city of Cabo San Lucas, specific health measures are being taken.

What Parents In Cabo San Lucas Must Keep In Mind?

• The standard school enrollment process will continue as usual, and families are not required to present a complete vaccination record to register.
• In areas where recent cases have been reported, localized health precautions may be introduced. Families in Cabo San Lucas should be prepared for temporary preventive measures if an outbreak occurs.
• Parents are advised to take their children to a medical facility if they notice symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, small white spots inside the cheeks, or skin rashes so they can receive timely medical care.
• Except during declared emergencies, vaccination certificates are not required for school admission.

What Happened In Mexico In The 1990s?

In the 1990s, the Ministry of Health (SSA) and the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) required that children be protected against diseases such as measles, polio, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria and tuberculosis before entering preschool or primary school, as part of the health prevention policies. However, at present, as Alicia Meza Osuna stated, "It is not a requirement to enroll children in school to present their vaccination card. Under no circumstances is it a requirement to present a complete vaccination schedule for a child to attend school."

What Is Measles?

Measles, also known as rubeola, is an extremely contagious viral illness that typically causes high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a characteristic rash that begins on the face and spreads downward across the body. It spreads through respiratory droplets and can lead to severe and sometimes fatal complications, including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain known as encephalitis.

Although it is preventable through the safe and effective MMR vaccine, measles remains a serious threat in many regions. There is no specific cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

What Are The Symptoms Parents Must Look Out For?

Measles has a high transmissibility, and high measles immunity levels are required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission.

This is why herd immunity for measles could be easily breached.

It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breathes, coughs or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Symptoms include:

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny Nose
• Rash all over the body

The most unique symptom or the early sign of measles in the Koplik spots. These are tiny white dots that look like grains of salt on red gums inside the cheeks that appear before the red rash starts to appear on a person's face and then the body.

Read: Unique Symptoms Of Measles In 2026 And How Long Does The Infection Last?

Furthermore, the symptoms of measles are also characterized by the three Cs:

• Cough
• Coryza or runny nose
• Conjunctivitis or red and water eyes

How Long Does The Infection Last?

The progression of the symptom comes in two stages, first is the prodromal stage or Days 1 to 4, where one would notice high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, sore throat, fatigue, and Koplik spots.

The second stage is called the rash stage or the days 5 to 10 or even more where rash start to appear on the hairline, and then it runs down the body. It lasts for several days and fades in the same order.

The first symptoms, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appear 7 to 14 days after a measles infection. Often, it could also lead to ear infection, or even diarrhea. Though these complications happen in every 1 in 10 children or individual with measles.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched indigenously manufactured tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Research Institute in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli on Saturday. The formal launch of the Td vaccine will now include the vaccine under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The Central Research Institute will supply 55 lakh doses to the UIP by April. The production is also expected to scale up progressively in subsequent years to further strengthen the Central Government's Universal Immunisation Programme, said Nadda.

Nadda also congratulated the scientists, technical experts and staff of the Central Research Institute Kasauli at the gathering, and described the launch Tb vaccine as a momentous and historic occasion. He also stated that the launch marked a significant step towards safeguarding national health security and strengthening India's public health infrastructure.

The minister also noted that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set clear targets for achieving self-reliance in the health and pharmaceutical sectors. Nadda also said that the launch of the indigenously manufactured Td vaccine represents a concrete step towards the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in health and medicine.

India Is Pharmacy Of The World

He also highlighted the nation's global standing. He said that the minister also stated that India is widely recognized as the "pharmacy of the world" and is among the leading vaccine manufacturers globally.

He also said that India has achieved Maturity Level 3 in the World Health Organization's (WHO) global benchmarking of regulatory systems, reflecting the robustness of its vaccine regulatory framework. Institution like CRI, said Nadda, have also played a major role in achieving these standards.

Read: After Coldrif, WHO Bans 2 More Drugs, But This Is Not the Only Death from Indian Cough Syrup

From Decades Of Research To Digital Vaccination Tracking

The Union Health Minister said that historically, vaccines and medicines took decades to develop. The tetanus vaccine required years of global research, tuberculosis drugs evolved over nearly 30 years, and the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine took close to a century of scientific effort.

In contrast, during the COVID 19 pandemic, India developed two indigenous vaccines within nine months and administered more than 220 crore doses, including boosters. He added that vaccination certificates were issued digitally, reflecting the country’s expanding use of technology in public health delivery.

Highlighting international cooperation, he noted that under the Vaccine Maitri initiative India supplied vaccines to nearly 100 countries, with 48 receiving them free of cost. Public sector institutions such as the Central Research Institute also strengthened the country’s ability to meet both domestic and global demand.

The minister further said the Central Research Institute became the first government facility to manufacture vaccines under Good Manufacturing Practices standards, marking a major step in modernizing public sector vaccine production.

He described the Universal Immunisation Programme as the world’s largest vaccination drive. It currently provides 11 vaccines protecting against 12 preventable diseases, with significant contributions from the institute.

Every year about 2 to 2.5 crore children are born and a similar number of women become pregnant. From pregnancy registration onward, beneficiaries are tracked through digital platforms such as U WIN. Expectant mothers receive five antenatal check ups including at least one by a specialist, and monitoring continues until the child turns 16 years old, covering 27 doses.

The annual immunization cohort includes nearly 5 crore beneficiaries, around 2.5 crore pregnant women and 2.5 crore children. Due to systematic tracking and sustained immunization efforts, vaccine coverage in the country has reached nearly 99 per cent.