Pakistan Paediatric Association has taken strong exception to steady decline in public demand for vaccines offered under Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) in Sindh and Balochistan.
The EPI vaccines globally recognised for their efficacy to prevent 10 fatal diseases among children is registered to be no more than 53% in the country itself, is no more than 29% in Sindh and a mere 16% in Balochistan.
General Secretary PPA (Centre), Prof. Dr. Ayesha Mehnaz talking to APP Sunday said the EPI coverage rate during 2007 to 2015 has declined from 37% to 29% whereas in Balochistan it has dropped from 35% to 16%.
The senior PPA member and head of paediatrics department, Civil Hospital Karachi attributed the situation to baseless myths associated with vaccines administered under EPI programme.
The ground reality is that 95% of these vaccines are imported with strict quality criterion; she said reiterating that since quality of none of the EPI vaccines can be considered compromised it is a joint responsibility of all relevant sections to motivate parents to avail EPI facility. "Moreover these essential vaccines provided under EPI are available absolutely free while otherwise they do cost quite high if purchased from open market," added Prof. Ayesha Mehnaz.
In reply to a question, she said Pakistan is as a nation must own the EPI program as many of the pharmaceutical companies have already stopped production of certain vaccines available under EPI - Pakistan and its provinces. "This is because concerned diseases have been rooted out from most parts of the world yet persist in our country," she said.