Measles outbreak in Sindh worries parents

A fresh wave of measles outbreak has occurred in Karachi and interior Sindh, due to which hundreds of children have been affected by the virus. A number of children are being brought to the government hospitals and private facilities in Karachi and interior Sindh, who have been affected by measles and pneumonia.

The blame game for the lapse in carrying out vaccination drive which could have prevented this outbreak has started, and the officials of Pakistan Pediatric Association are putting the blame on Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).

The president of Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA), Dr Jama Raza told reporters that measles is a fatal disease which can be prevented by getting the affected child vaccinated against it in the first nine months of their lives and then get a booster for the vaccine again in 15 months. Measles is a contagious disease which can spread from one child to the other through touch. During the initial period when the disease is most contagious, there are no symptoms and parents still send their kids to school, due to which it spreads rapidly.

The officials of PPA have already alerted authorities and have urged them to carry out a vaccination drive at the earliest, failing which, the outbreak can take the shape of an epidemic.

According to some doctors, measles can occur when proper vaccinations are not carried out at the due time. It has been reported that the EPI has not conducted any such drive during the past one year in Sindh.

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Posted by fatimaarshad on Feb 27 2017. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.