A well being employee (proper) administers polio vaccine drops to a toddler throughout a polio vaccination marketing campaign in Karachi on June 3, 2024. | Photograph credit score: AFP
Pakistan has confirmed its fifth polio case of the yr, greater than a fortnight after the sufferer’s dying, shaking the nation’s efforts to eradicate the crippling illness.
The sufferer, a two-year-old boy from Quetta, Balochistan, died on Might 22 earlier than affirmation of poliovirus, the Dawn the newspaper reported.
With the onset of paralysis on April 29, the case was confirmed after six weeks on Saturday, as an alternative of the standard three weeks for analysis, the report mentioned, citing an official on the Regional Reference Laboratory of the Nationwide Institute of Well being (NIH). .
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In response to the NIH, the boy’s legs have been initially affected by the paralyzing illness. He was later transferred to Karachi, however his situation worsened when the illness unfold to his arms. He died a number of weeks later, in keeping with the report.
The official mentioned the boy had not obtained a single dose of polio vaccine throughout routine vaccination. Nevertheless, information present that he obtained 5 doses of vaccine throughout supplemental immunization actions. It’s being investigated whether or not this can be a case of vaccine rejection, the official mentioned.
“The virus was remoted from the samples belonging to the YB3A group imported from WPV1,” the official mentioned.
The case was the fourth reported in Balochistan province.
In response to the report, the poliovirus was additionally detected within the kid’s siblings and cousins.
The Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Nationwide Well being Providers, Dr. Malik Mukhtar Bharat, mentioned the case served as a reminder that till Pakistan achieves polio eradication, no youngster might be fully secure from the crippling illness.
Muhammad Anwarul Haq, new coordinator of the Nationwide Emergency Operations Heart for Polio Eradication, mentioned an investigation was underway to hint the supply of the virus that brought on the an infection and determine doable gaps in vaccination protection.
He changed Dr. Shahzad Baig, who resigned earlier this month.
On June 1, Pakistan reported its fourth polio case of the yr.
The sufferer was a 30-month-old boy from Lakhi area of Shikarpur district of Sindh province. It was the primary case reported in Sindh province this yr.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the one international locations on the planet the place polio stays endemic, in keeping with the World Well being Group.