Fourth infant dies from measles vaccination in Nawabshah

NAWABSHAH: The Sindh measles vaccination programme has turned into "death by lethal injection" after it claimed the life of a nine-month old infant, Zubair, who died at a private hospital of Karachi on Saturday, raising the death toll to four children dying in similar circumstances. All the four children have died within the last week. Zubair died following a measles vaccination campaign at the Maryam Road, Nawabshah a few days ago. Zubair was one of the three children referred to a private hospital Karachi in critical condition where he expired while the condition of the other two children is stated to be out of danger.

Talking to the media, Muhammad Yusuf, the father of the deceased child, said an FIR was lodged against the District Health Officer Dr Ghulam Mujtaba Memon, In-charge National Vaccination Program Dr SIkandar Rahu, vaccinators and a lady health worker but none of the culprits have been arrested. He said despite several death of children, the government seems unmoved and they have taken no action against the vaccination team.

A large number of people attended the funeral. During the funeral, the relatives of deceased child chanted slogans against the government and the district administration. They demanded to arrest the entire vaccination team and bringing them to justice.