RAWALPINDI/TAXILA: An outbreak of measles wreaking havoc in Rawalpindi district has raised questions on the performance of the District Health Authority and district administration regarding the vaccination campaigns.

As many as 256 children have contracted measles in the district from January to April while eight children succumbed to the disease due to measles in three government-run hospitals during the last month.

According to the District Health Authority, 142 children were suffering from measles in Rawal Town’s 46 union councils and 24 in Taxila, while the remaining children contracted the virus in the other five tehsils of the district and cantonment areas.

As many as 30 children are admitted to various government hospitals in the garrison city.

Over 160 cases of viral infection reported in Rawalpindi district; child dies in Taxila

The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department took serious notice of the issue and asked the district authorities to take preventive measures to avoid the spread of the virus. The anti-measles vaccine is necessary to protect infected children from pneumonia, malnutrition and brain diseases.

A senior official of the health department said that after the outbreak of measles in the district, the department started the inquiry led by Dr Waseem Ahmed, additional director of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI), but the inquiry report has not been completed.

He said that it was the responsibility of the district health authority to make a proper plan in October and November and utilise all the vaccinators who were hired to do the job.

He said that the anti-polio campaign was to be utilised to carry out vaccination for measles as well but the health authority did not use this campaign for measles. “In door-to-door campaigns, vaccinators can check the vaccination card of the children less than five years but they did not do this,” he said.

When contacted, District Health Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani said that measles was under control now as the health authority started taking preventive measures and kicked off a campaign in the affected areas of Rawalpindi district’s Rawal Town, cantonment and Taxila.

He said most children less than nine months contracted the virus. “The vaccination starts with a nine-month-old baby, and the booster shot is given to less than five years old children,” he said.

To a question about how babies contracted the virus, Dr Ghani said the virus was active in the district and mostly unvaccinated children contracted the virus.

“People coming from other districts especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were responsible for transmitting the virus as the children were not vaccinated,” he alleged.

In Taxila, the local administration and health authorities are on their toes as measles has broken out in various rural and urban areas of Taxila and Wah.

According to officials, one child died due to the virus while 20 more confirmed cases have emerged.

Besides this, more than 60 suspected cases were reported in various localities of Taxila and Wah.

Sources said in Sarai Kala, a child identified as Shafiullah succumbed to the disease while at least 12 children were reported measles-positive.

Residents of the Sarai Kala, Pind Gondal, Jameelabad, Mashraqiabad, and Ahmednagar questioned the activities of the anti-measles teams in this area and called upon the authorities to carry out an audit of these teams as due to their alleged negligence the children were affected. “With just a little rise in temperature, a variety of contagious diseases has started affecting children; what would happen when the temperature would peak during June and July,” asked Munaza Peerzada.

District Surveillance Officer Dr Muhammad Ali said that the outbreak was reported to the concerned authorities for launching booster doses among children, aged between six months and five years.

When contacted, Deputy District Officer (Health) Dr Shahzad Hassan confirmed the outbreak of measles in the rural and urban localities of the area. Responding to a question, he said that from January 2023 till now, 20 confirmed and more than 60 suspected measles cases are reported in the area.

Taxila AC Salman Akbar Warraich claimed that the overall situation was under control and local administration with the assistance of health authorities was taking all possible measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2023