ISLAMABAD: Laying to rest speculations doing the rounds for the past few days that five children died in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) because of spurious vaccine, a blood analysis report shows that the vaccine was not the reason for their death.

The report was prepared by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical College, Peshawar.

Two children died and seven fell unconscious in the Bara Tehsil of Khyber Agency during an anti-polio campaign last week.

Polio vaccine was blamed for the incident and led to concern among polio programme officers that the incident might hamper the progress on the eradication of virus.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq told Dawn that immediately after the incident, a team of independent paediatricians, World Health Organisation representatives and other stake holders was set up to investigate the matter.

“Our concern further increased after some stories were published in some newspapers that three more children have died in the area.

“However, the analysis report has proved that the reason for the deaths of the children was not vaccine,” she said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2016