FAISALABAD: A five-member committee formed to investigate the reasons of chickenpox outbreak concluded that vaccination against the disease is unavailable and overcrowding is the main factor in its spread.

However, the committee did not mention who was responsible for not ensuring availability of vaccine and launching awareness campaigns in the district.

A meeting the Punjab government had earlier called for today (Thursday) to discuss the issue was postponed at the last moment. It was to be attended by officials of Children’s Hospital, Lahore; Allied Hospital, Faisalabad; the health secretary; and others.

Probe body suggests awareness drives, sessions be conducted

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Punjab Vice President Dr Mohammad Irfan, who is also an assistant professor at the Allied Hospital, said the committee rightly pointed out that vaccination was missing in the district, while there were no awareness campaigns either when people were dying of chickenpox.

Chief executive officer of the district health authority, Dr Nawazish Goraya, had formed this committee to investigate the cause of the outbreak. The committee comprised district health officer (preventive services); paediatrician Dr Saleemullah Butt of Government General Hospital, Samanabad; paediatrician Dr Inaam Jilani of Chak Jhumra THQ Hospital; and District Surveillance Coordinator Dr Saqib Munir.

“Chickenpox is endemic in Pakistan as well as our district and secondary attack rate is very high, which is 90 per cent in contacts as the mode of spread is person to person and through droplet infection,” the report noted.

Dr Irfan said the EPI schedules of developed countries where chickenpox was not a problem should not be followed blindly. “We must include chickenpox vaccine in our EPI schedule,” he added.

The committee recommended that it was imperative to overcome the spread of chickenpox, awareness material be displayed at all basic health units (BHUs), rural health centres (RHCs) and THQ hospitals. It also noted that banners had been displayed on main roads and sessions for awareness conducted at RHCs and THQ Hospitals for healthcare workers.

It further suggested that a letter should be sent to the education authority suggesting a week off for any student suffering from chickenpox to prevent it from spreading to other students. Deputy district health officers should conduct health sessions in their respective tehsils. Sessions were being conducted in schools in Faisalabad city, the report added.

Medical officers in charge of BHUs should conduct sessions in schools in their respective union councils and submit reports with a certificate from the school head. The sessions should focus on preventive measures, personal hygiene, hand washing and nail cutting.

The report stated that calamine lotion and Acyclovir tablet should be provided at all RHCs and THQs.

Besides, the district government on Wednesday started to vaccinate people whose family member(s) had suffered from chickenpox.

Deputy Commissioner Salman Ghani organised this vaccination for Rs1 million with the help of local philanthropists.

A committee had been formed by Ghani to purchase the vaccination locally.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017