Five children die of measles in Sindh

SUKKUR: Five children died of measles in Naushahroferoze and Kashmore districts.The outbreak of measles in Naushahroferoze and Kashmore claimed the lives of five children in the past 24 hours, prompting the health authorities to expedite efforts against the endemic.

Among the children who died of measles included three brothers identified as Umar (3), Abu Bakar Shar (4) and Moavia (7) hailing from village Karim Bakhash Shar near Padeidan in district Naushahroferoze, while as many as 20 other children, belonging to the same village, were also infected with measles. Sain Bakhash Shar, father of the deceased children, said he took his sons to the Rural Health Centre, Padeidan, but the doctor forced him to take his children to his private clinic.

The childrens’ death sent shockwaves across the village, prompting the residents to refuse vaccination of their children and to shift them to hospitals.Meanwhile, a medical team of the District Health Office (DHO), Naushahroferoze, led by MS Rural Health Centre Padeidan, Dr Mobin Ahmed Rajpu, visited villages Karim Bakhash Shar, Malhar Shar and Arbab Shar and administered the anti-measles vaccine to some children asking the parents to shift their children to hospital who refused doing so out of fear of losing their children.

The parents told the team that despite being vaccinated, their children were infected with measles, which has raised doubts on the efficacy of the vaccine and drops administered by the health officials. Due to this, they were reluctant to take their children to the hospital.

Two days ago, Mazhar Ali Dallo also died of measles in Moro, Naushahroferoze district, while three-year-old Abida, daughter of Muhammad Khan Chachar, died of the infection in village Rais Bahadur Chachar in Kandhkot city, district Kashmore.