In a setback to the vaccination efforts in FATA, three more minor children died on Tuesday of allegedly reaction to vaccines during an immunisation campaign in Khyber Agency. According to local sources, four years old Zakir s/o Muhammad Usman resident of Shahkas, Kamar Khel, and one-month old Umar Khitab s/o Abdur Razzaq of Baz Gra, Kamar Khel area, while a four months old girl Safoora d/o Muhammad Farooq, Piro Khel tehsil Landi Kotal, fainted after vaccination and were taken to hospital where they died.
The parents of the deceased children and local people have expressed grave concern over the issue and demanded an independent investigation to fix the responsibility. Muhammad Usman, who hails from Shahkas area, said the negligence of the polio team caused his son's death. He further said that last day he asked the visiting mobile team of the anti-polio drive not to vaccinate his son because it had affected him in last campaign, but, he added, the workers neglected it and insisted to administer him drops. The child health deteriorated within an hour soon after it was administered and was immediately rushed to Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar but expired during treatment, he regretted.
Meanwhile, Mohib Afridi, uncle of Umar Khitab, said his nephew fainted after being administered polio vaccine and he died at the hospital. Muhammad Farroq, father of four months old deceased girl, Safoora, said his daughter was a healthy girl and in last four months she had never been taken to doctor for any kind of disease but after being vaccinated anti-polio drops, following a mouthful vomiting she breathed her last previous day. He warned that if cause of his daughter's death was not sort out, the dwellers of Piro Khel would not risk their children lives by feeding them polio drops. In addition, two children died due to expired pneumonia injections and nine others fainted few days ago in Shalobar area of Khyber Agency. Vaccination campaign was postponed in Khyber Agency for few days after that incident.