Viral disease: Five measles cases reported

The minimum age for measles vaccination is nine months.

BAHAWALPUR:

Five cases of measles were reported from Basti Sharaf Shah near Kahirpur Tamewali in Bahawalpur district during the last week.

The affected children, all residents of Chak 24, were identified as Saleem, 4, Waseem, 3, Muzzammil, 8 months, children of Fayyaz Hussain, and Jahangir, 7, and Tanveer, 6, children of Mohammad Ameen.

According to Mohammad Younis, a Health Department vaccinator, a report has been sent to the Health Department.

He said so far only five cases were reported. He said that all the children in the area had been vaccinated at the proper time. He said the minimum age for measles vaccination was nine months. He said three of the children had been to Cholistan area with their parents for some time. Before which, he claimed, the children had been vaccinated.

District Health Officer Dr Saeed Asghar told The Express Tribune that a Health Department team had found out that the children had been treated by a quack, Mohammad Ashraf, in the recent past. He said they had found that Ashraf, who owned a medical store, had been illegally treating people. He said police were looking for the man.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2012.