KARACHI: The World Health Organisation, Unicef and the health department on Tuesday assured the city administration that there was no harm in giving typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) to children.

The city commissioner told Dawn that the WHO and Unicef assured the administration that the TCV was safe and necessary for health and safety of children as it was considered the only way to protect children from typhoid.

He said that representatives of the world organisations gave the assurance to the city administration during a meeting held with him.

WHO team leader Osama Mere, Unicef specialist for immunisation Dr Saadia Farrukh, specialist Ayesha Durrani, director general of Private Schools Mansoob Siddiqui, chairman of the private schools association Tariq Shah, all deputy commissioners, head of immunisation programme Dr Khalid and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The commissioner said that the deputy commissioner of West informed the meeting that not a single child had fallen ill because of the TCV.

According to the deputy commissioner West, a child panicked after administration of the vaccine and was later sent to hospital where he was examined.

The official sources said that the chairman of the private schools’ association assured the meeting participants that the association would fully support the campaign as it was for the benefit of children.

The DG private schools told the meeting participants that the school, where children had reportedly panicked, had been asked to file a written explanation, while action against the school had been initiated.

The sources said the participants of the meeting decided that the campaign would continue with full force.

They said that the meeting participants further decided that strict action would be taken against the schools found creating obstruction and hurdles in vaccination campaign.

The sources said that the meeting participants also decided to consider the cancellation of registration of schools that did not cooperate and created any hurdle in the campaign.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2019