KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Panic gripped saffron town of Pampore after children who were administered pulse-polio vaccines allegedly developed medical symptoms like vomiting.
“Women are seen crying and rushing towards sub district hospital,” says a resident of the town Jahangeer Ahmad. “Rumours have spread in the area that the pulse-polio vaccine administered to children are expired,” adds Jahangeer.
An official at Director Health Services Kashmir said that the CMO of Pulwama District has reached the spot to look into the matter. “As per the initial investigation the reason for development of such symptoms among the children is not because of pulse-polio vaccines administered to them,” the official of the directorate said.
The official said they will be make the results of their investigations public but insisted the polio drops were not expired.
However, in Pampore the “rumours” have thrown life out of gear. “There is traffic jam and women carrying their kids are crying and rushing towards the hospital,” one resident said.
Reports said some kids in Kandizal and Khaimoh belt reported vomiting and that was the source of panic. Now scores of vehicles are driving their kids to the state run Children’s Hospital in Srinagar.
The panic is spreading to new areas. A caller from Chanpora told Kashmir Life on phone that there are public announcements going on from mosques asking parents to for another protective dose of drops. He, however, was not knowing who was making the announcements.
Zahoor Ragi, PRO to Director Health said there is not a single case in which a polio administered kid had adversely reacted to the vaccine. “This is just a rumour,” Ragi said. “We have already sent our BMO to Pampore who has not reported even a single case.”
