KARACHI – Three children have died and at least three others are in critical condition in Sindh after they were administered ‘expired’ measles vaccines on Saturday.
Husnain Brohi (5), Hania Noor (6), and nine-month-old Qamar Din died at the Paediatrics Unit of Peoples University Medical Hospital (PUMH) after they were given doses of measles vaccine, hospital officials and family members told the media.
Three other children, Zubair(5), Jannat(4), and Tania (3), were said to be in serious condition.
The parents of the deceased children alleged that a lady health worker visited their homes in the Saeedabad area and administered anti-measles vaccines against their will. They claimed that the woman had not followed proper protocol, as she took the vaccines (past their expiry date) and injections out from her purse and administered doses to the children.
The children fell ill after the vaccine was administered and were taken to a private hospital. They were later shifted to PUMH, but a lack of immediate medical attention led to three of the six children losing their lives.
Doctors at PUMH believe that expired vaccines are the reason behind the deaths, Dawn News reported, but district health officials have denied that the administered vaccines were expired and have ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The officials said that samples had been collected from the bodies of the affected children for testing, and that nothing could be said about the reasons behind the deaths as yet.
Police have taken the lady health worker administering the allegedly expired vaccines into custody for investigation. A case has yet to be registered, but a complaint may be filed once medical reports are issued, police said.
