KARACHI, Jan 5: Fearing a measles epidemic, a large number of parents have thronged two major government children hospitals along with their children for vaccination against measles, which claimed about 210 lives in Sindh, including 15 in Karachi, in 2012. The health authorities are still unable to fully control the epidemic.

Over 1,300 children were vaccinated at the Sindh Government Children Hospital in North Karachi in three days, while about 500 of up to 10 years of age were vaccinated at the EPI centre in the National Institute of Child Health on Saturday, officials said.

The parents were saying they had come to immunise their children as a precaution.

Senior paediatrician at the North Karachi hospital Dr Mohammad Abdul Waheed said concerned parents were coming in large numbers.

“We have vaccinated about 600 children on Saturday.”

A NICH official said 400 children were vaccinated on Saturday.—Staff Reporter