WHO expert visits Bathinda, samples sent to Kasauli
FIVE MORE CHILDREN WERE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL SINCE MONDAY COMPLAINING OF FEVER, VOMITING, HEADACHE AND ANXIETY
BATHINDA: A team of officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), Union ministry of health and family welfare and the Punjab health department on Tuesday visited Bathinda after reports of 13 children suffering “adverse” reactions after being administered the Measles-rubella (MR) vaccine were admitted to the Bathinda civil hospital on Monday.
Five more children were admitted to the hospital since Monday complaining of fever, vomiting, headache and anxiety.
The team comprising WHO sub-regional team leader Dr S Srinivasan, Dr Gomati, a representative of the Union health ministry and assistant director of the Punjab health department and state immunisation officer Dr GB Singh visited schools and the civil hospital.
Talking to reporters, Dr Singh said samples of vaccine from used vials and syringes and still not used vials have been collected and will be sent to the Central Research Institute at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh for testing.
Dr Singh said over 10 lakh children have been administered the M-R vaccine Punjab to date.
The department has set a target to vaccination 73 lakh children in six weeks, he said.
“We are countering the negative propaganda against the vaccine. We appeal to the people not to pay heed to rumours. Vaccination against measles and rubella is being administered for the past many years and there is nothing new in what the department is doing now,” he said.
He said side effects, if any, can be seen within 24 hours of the vaccination. But most of the cases in Bathinda were reported after three-four days of the vaccination, he said.
Dr Srinivasan said they didn’t find any shortcoming in the vaccination process. He said prima facie there is no link between vaccination and children falling sick, but things will be clear only after the laboratory report.
Bathinda civil hospital paediatrician Dr Satish Jindal said urine culture of four children who are down with fever will be tested to find if it is due to vaccine or viral.