The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have decided to provide anti-diphtheria serum as dozens of children have died following a recent surge in the deadly infectious disease.
Despite the country’s claims of increasing routine immunization rates, at least 39 children and adolescents succumbed to the vaccine-preventable disease, which had been eradicated from much of the world.
Officials said that UNICEF is making arrangements to supply anti-diphtheria serum and WHO is also making efforts in this regard.
Pediatricians say diphtheria outbreaks are due to the unavailability of pentavalent vaccine and anti-diphtheria serum.
According to officials, anti-diphtheria serum is produced in very small quantities due to the worldwide eradication of the disease.
“Diphtheria is a deadly bacterial infection, a vaccine-preventable disease, but every week dozens of cases of diphtheria are now being reported from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while suspected cases of diphtheria are also being reported from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. are”. National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS, R&C) official said.
Infectious disease experts and pediatricians are blaming federal and provincial immunization programs for the rise in cases and are calling for an immediate revival of the federal and provincial Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
According to experts, diphtheria is a serious infection caused by a toxin-producing strain of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheria. It can lead to breathing problems, heart rhythm problems, and even death. Pakistani children are given one vaccine, a combination of five vaccines that protect against five major diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B (DTP-hepB-Hib).
