Over 1,000 children barred from vaccines
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JHAPA, Feb 11: Mandatory vaccinations for children and pregnant women have been stalled in Jhapa district for the last three weeks following the death of a child four days after undergoing a regular vaccination.
District Public Health Office (DPHO) Jhapa, has admitted that vaccination services in the district have come to halt. According to the DPHO, no vaccination has been administered since January 23. and it is uncertain when the services will resume. More than 1,000 newborn are not getting their regular vaccinations.
Two-month-old Sulav Rai of ShantinagarVDC-1 died two weeks ago after taking his first PVC (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) and DPT vaccines against pneumonia. The child's family and other villagers forced the DPHO to halt the vaccinations, claiming that the death was due to the vaccinations.
The DPHO also said that locals, including the family of the deceased, suspect that the vaccines led to the toddler's death.
Ishwor Poudel, the vaccination officer in Jhapa, said that vaccine services in 51 government health offices and 257 vaccine centers in the municipalities and VDCs in the district were closed following heated debate and mounting pressure from locals after the toddler's death. On average, the DPHO had been providing vaccines every month to 1,700 children under the age of one.
Poudel also informed that they wouldn't resume the vaccine services until directions are received from the Health Ministry, which is currently examining vaccine samples from the district. A report will be delivered within the next three days, according to the DPHO.
A team of experts from the Child Health Division under the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) is scheduled to visit Jhapa to gather factual information concerning the incident.
