Typhoid immunization provided to 4 million children across Sindh

Around four million children have been provided Typhoid vaccine across Sindh.

According to the Health Department, typhoid vaccine has been provided to 4 million children across Sindh, while the campaign, which starts from November 18, will continue till November 30.

The target of vaccinating more than one million children across Sindh has been set up, support from parents and citizens is commendable, sources said.

Sources further told that the typhoid vaccine campaign will continue on Sunday as well, while vaccinations are being provided at public health centers and private hospitals.

The drive to vaccinate children against typhoid was in full swing in Sindh but it has already been marred by false rumours about adverse reactions to the vaccine.

Earlier, soon after the campaign started on November 18, there were reports of school children from Karachi’s Orangi Town being hospitalized after reacting to the vaccine.

The children were all students of White House Grammar School from Block L, Orangi Town.

The project director of Sindh’s expanded program of immunization, Dr. Akram Sultan, who is also spearheading the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) campaign, told that all of the affected children were stable and had been discharged.

He added that the children had panicked after seeing other children getting injected. Some had become dizzy and fainted.

“Around 24 kids were referred from one school to the hospital. This school is already a polio refusal school. Its staff and principal beat up doctors. There has been no negative reaction in all of Sindh. Why only in this school?” Dr. Sultan said indignantly.

He said the vaccine was safe and necessary, and side effects, if any, were limited to pain and swelling at the injection site and fever.