Eating expired polio vaccine capsules: over dozen children fall unconscious in Baldia

More than a dozen children fell unconscious after eating expired polio vaccine capsules, which were allegedly disposed of by the negligent officials of Sindh Polio Eradication Programme (SPEP) in Baldia Town to hide their incompetence during the recent drive.
The children ate the capsules considering them as bubble gum, which were lying in the streets of the locality, and fell unconscious. They were rushed to a private hospital situated in Baldia Town vicinity, where doctors referred them to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) due to medical complication and lack of treatment facilities in the hospital.
The children were admitted in the Paediatric Emergency Centre for treatment. After initial treatment there, they regained conscious. An insider told Business Recorder that five children including four girls and a boy were brought to the paediatric ward.
"The condition of two of the girls is precarious while the others are out of danger," the doctor said, adding that blood pressure of both the girls have shot up due to excessive intake of vitamin A vaccine. Muhammad Hassan, father of two of the girls, said he was resident of Saeedabad, Baldia Town. "My two daughters Shino, 05 and Paghunda, 06 took the expired polio vaccine scattered in the as bubble gum. He said the children ate up all the vaccines lying in the street considering them as eatable item.
Dr Arif, Town Health Officer (THO), Baldia, rejected the reports regarding disposing of expired polio vaccines in the residential area. "Executive District Officer (EDO) Health, Karachi Dr Shahab Imam has ordered enquiry into the accident," he added. He said might be the health department of the adjoining town had disposed of the vaccines in Baldia Town to "defame its administration."
"May be the polio teams of Baldia and the other town had disposed of the vaccine to hide their performance during polio drive," he presented another possibility. Talking to Business Recorder, Sindh Minister for Health Dr Saghir Ahmed said it would be premature to hold anybody responsible for the incident.