In-charge of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Charsadda, Dr Farhad denied the deaths were caused due to the vaccinations, saying these were ‘rumours’. PHOTO: ONLINE
CHARSADDA: Two children, both aged four, reportedly died in Charsadda on Sunday after receiving the measles vaccine.
Local sources said Sohail, who lived in Majoki Prang village, was vaccinated last Friday and was admitted to District Headquarters Hospital after he fainted. The second child, Faizan, who was living in Peshawar, also fainted after receiving the vaccination from health workers at his residence.
In-charge of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Charsadda, Dr Farhad denied the deaths were caused due to the vaccinations, saying these were ‘rumours’. He said Sohail was admitted to the hospital with a fever and it is believed that he passed away as he was suffering from measles. He added that Faizan died due to a fever and not from the vaccination.
Last week, two children – Mazhar and Umar – died in Shabqadar after reportedly having an adverse reaction to the vaccine, while three children were reported dead in Peshawar, including two-year-old Hilal of Mandra Khel area, two-year-old Rida of the same village and one-year-old Abul Samand, a resident of Faqir Kalay.
On May 29, Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai formed an investigation team comprising local and foreign health experts to probe the deaths. However, he expressed confidence in the vaccine’s quality and said the deceased children might have had health issues prior to the vaccination.
On the same day, a report issued by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Health stated the instances of children fainting as well as dying due to the injections were occurring because untrained staff was administering the vaccine.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (5)
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OK but Imran Khan's children are safe away from this poor shabby country and that's what counts
why from a particular area on dying ? are they are getting measles vaccine or something else,from where this vaccine imported..? what preservatives used in the vaccine...?.. all need investigation to come to a conclusion,,,
This is height of Unprofessional journalism. I am saying it because I know better being a physician. About 8 million kids have been vaccinated, out of which 200 had unwanted side effects and 4-6 deaths has been reported. Last year about 15000 cases of measles were reported along with 300 deaths in unvaccinated kids. Obviously, all the effort should be made to decreased any involved risk. But remember, Not a single medicine is safe. We have to look at benefits vs risk factors. So get your kids vaccinated from Measles
it is really sad may Allah punish all those who are providing wrong medicines...
Imran Khan should come back from UK instantly and should put his party members, chief minister and coalition to task. The death of the children is very sad. Projects like Sehat ka Insaaf must be scrutinized and all medical projects must be implemented after the proper analysis. Only trained staff must be allowed to delegate vaccines to the children.