'Only few cases of chickenpox reported in Punjab'

There is no epidemic of chickenpox in Punjab; however, individual cases are being reported from different districts, WHO provincial representative Dr Jamshed said. At present, six patients of chickenpox are admitted in the hospitals, out of them two patients are in Children Hospital Lahore and four are admitted in Allied Hospital Faisalabad.
Sufficient stock of anti-viral medicines is being available and the medicines are being provided to the patients. Medical Director Children Hospital Lahore, Professor Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore revealed that chickenpox commonly known as early age disease and majority of children suffered with this disease and cured in few days which create lifelong immunity among the children, however, he said that this time, the disease has changed its pattern and presently adults are also affected by the virus.
It may be noted that 16 deaths were reported due to chickenpox in Faisalabad, out of them only two were children and the remaining 14 were between the ages of 21 to 46 years. Director General Health Services Punjab Dr Faisal Zahoor presided over a meeting of Technical Working Group of Health department to review the situation of chickenpox in different districts of the province in Emergency Operation Center (EOC), here on Thursday.
Chief Executive Officers, District Health Authorities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Jhang, Bhakkar, Nankana Sahib, Toba Tek Singh and Sargodha as well as provincial representative of World Health Organization Dr Jamshed, Director CDC Dr Bashir Ahmad, Medical Director Children Hospital Lahore Professor Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore and other concerned officers attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that vaccination of contact people of the patients and health providers is being carried out. Moreover, the authorities of education department have been advised to send the affected children on leave for one week to protect the other children. CEOs informed that mass awareness campaigns have been conducted in the affected districts and only in Faisalabad, health education sessions have been conducted in 196 educational institutions.