A team of health officials went to a private school in Jangal Khel to vaccinate children against measles after which the students fell unconscious and were rushed to the Liaqat Memorial Hospital. PHOTO: FILE
KOHAT:
Six more children fell unconscious after being administered measles vaccines in Kohat district on Wednesday. Earlier this week, at least 23 children fainted after getting inoculated against the disease in Hangu.
A team of health officials went to a private school in Jangal Khel to vaccinate children against measles after which the students fell unconscious and were rushed to the Liaqat Memorial Hospital.
An official of the hospital said the children were administered first aid and discharged. Child specialist Dr Luqman said measles injections cause such reactions in one out of 1,000 children, adding the students are not in any danger.
“It cannot harm them,” he said, adding the benefits of vaccination are countless.
An official of the hospital, speaking anonymously, said the injection is intramuscular. “Some health workers administer the injection in the skin which can result in such a reaction,” said the official.
Parents said the government needs to take precautionary measures before vaccinations so their loved ones’ health is not at risk.
On May 19, two minors reportedly died of measles while at least seven more have shown similar symptoms in two villages in Haripur. On the same day, at least 23 students of Government Girls Primary School in Dalan union council of Thal, Hangu fell unconscious after they were administered anti-measles injections.
The commonly known side-effects of measles vaccines range from the common ones which are fever, rash to the very rare ones such as mild seizures and deafness. Fainting is not one of these.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2014.
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