Anti-measles vaccination: Another child dies in Sanghar as body formed to probe deaths in Nawabshah

NAWABSHAH/SUKKUR: The anti-measles vaccine also claimed the life of a child in Sanghar. Reports said that a team of the District Health Officer, Sanghar, had administered anti-measles vaccine to a child Noor Jehan, d/o Peer Ali, two days ago. The toddler immediately fell unconscious and was shifted to a hospital where she died last Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner Sanghar Zohaib Mushtaq Balouch, taking notice of the death, suspended the anti-measles vaccination drive and ordered a probe to determine the reasons of the death.

Meanwhile, the puzzle of the death of three minor children allegedly due to the measles vaccination is still unresolved and the provincial head of the World Health Organization and other officials have arrived in Nawabshah to conduct an inquiry into the issue. The lady health worker who vaccinated the children was still at large and police were trying to locate her. The incident had occurred in the Maryam Road area where three minor children had expired and the condition of eight deteriorated after vaccination.

The sister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, MNA Dr Azra, also visited the homes of deceased children and expressed her sorrow with the parents over the demise. Later, talking to newsmen, she said that in her opinion the vaccine was mishandled and temperature not maintained before its administration to children. She said that experts would also see as to some other virus was present in the area and it killed the children after the measles vaccination process. The MNA also expressed her no confidence in the doctors of the Peoples Medical Hospital and commented that they neglected the serious issue adding that responsible persons would face action.

She said that the Mother and Child Hospital would soon be made operational under the public private partnership by handing over it to the Child Life Organization. The parents and relatives of deceased children piled up complaints against the hospital and duty doctors. The mother of two-and-a-half-year-old Husnain told the MNA that her son was born after eight years and after vaccination she carried him to hospital three times from where she was returned by doctors without treatment, saying the boy was ok. He expired after the third visit to the hospital. The parents of minor children, Hania and Qamar, who also expired after vaccination, wanted justice and not aid.

On the other hand, police have failed to locate the lady health worker Tahseen despite the lapse of 24 hours. The inquiry committee has seized the used stock of vaccine while the vaccination campaign in the district has been suspended by the health department.

Our correspondent adds from Karachi: Sindh Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho has constituted a seven-member committee to probe into the incident and report to him within the next 24 hours.

Four children died in Nawabshah district after three of them were vaccinated against measles while one of them received the BCG vaccine, which is given to prevent tuberculosis, officials in the Sindh health department said and added that immediately after the incident, the provincial health department formed a seven-member committee to probe into the matter.

Around 13 children also reportedly fell sick after the vaccination drive and three of them were taken to Karachi and admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital by their parents while the remaining were being treated at different public and private hospitals in Nawabshah.

District health officials of Nawabshah were not ready to speak about the incident and added that only a seven-member committee formed by the health secretary was authorised to speak on the issue.

The committee formed by the health secretary comprises Dr. Waqar Soomro, Provincial Immunization Officer of the WHO as Chairman, Prof. Dr. Ali Akbar Siyal, Head of Pediatrics Department of the People’s University of Health Sciences, Benazirabad, Dr. Abdul Wahid Bhurt, Divisional Surveillance Officer (DSO) of the WHO, Dr. Naveed Ahmed Memon as its Convener, Dr. Sohail Bin Saeed, Deputy Project Director EPI, Dr. Mujtaba Memon, acting DHO Benazirabad, and Fahad Fahmi, a cold chain management specialist.