PESHAWAR, June 11: The ineffectiveness of anti-polio vaccine has taken the health professionals by surprise following reports that two of the three children found suffering from the crippling disease in the NWFP and Fata had received several doses of the vaccine.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Waheeda who was diagnosed with polio in the Akora Khattak refugee camp in Nowshera district last week had been given about 20 doses of the anti-polio vaccine.

Officials said that an eight-month-old Afghan boy, Hasanullah, had been diagnosed with polio at a refugee camp in Tirah, Khyber Agency, in March. The child had also received two doses of vaccine during the national immunisation campaign recently.

Last year of the total 15 cases of polio detected in the NWFP and Fata, at least eight had been administered the anti-polio drop.

“Surprisingly, the children developed the ailment despite getting anti-polio drops,” the officials said, adding that the effectiveness of the vaccine has come under serious doubt.

Another child, 14-month-old Safia from Peshawar was confirmed last week as a polio patient. She had received 10 doses of anti-polio drops.

A 15-month-old boy, Attaullah, of Metokala village in Bajaur Agency was also diagnosed with polio last year despite receiving eight doses of the vaccines.

Experts say the vaccine remains ineffective when the recipients is suffering diarrhoea, has low immunity or generalised weakness. “But the problem is that vaccinators are overburdened with work. There are also not enough doctors to see if a child has any problem which might render the vaccine ineffective,” a WHO official said.

Notably, the ineffectiveness of the vaccine sparked a debate in the National Assembly a few months ago with the opposition calling for an inquiry into the efficacy of the droops, said a source at the health department.

He said the health teams faced problems in keeping the vaccine cold which may have rendered it ineffective.

Excessive loadshedding and electricity problem in rural areas are making it difficult to store the vaccine at low temperature, he added.