Font Size 
Polio afflicts 1-yr-old despite dose
Published on Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 21:58, Updated on Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 22:15 in 
Tags: 
New Delhi: One-year-old Jannat is a bundle of joy like any other toddler. But if you play with her, you’ll realise that she has to struggle to make her way because she has polio.
“Earlier she used to roam around the house. Now she can't even stand properly,” Jannat's Mother, Akhbari Khatun says.
Jannat was diagnosed with the debilitating disease just a few days ago. What's baffling the family is that Jannat has been given eight booster doses under the pulse polio programme.
“There is no use in giving them doses. I did but she still got polio. It's all a farce. The Government spends crores on it, but its of no use,” Jannat's Father, Muhammad Jameel Akhtar says.
In the past fortnight four fresh cases of polio have been reported. But officials maintain cases like Jannat are few and far between.
“One case is a resident of Rajasthan, the other is from Mainpuri who has come to Delhi for treatment. The message is simple - the virus is brought from outside into Delhi,” says OSD, Pulse Polio Programme, Dr CM Khanijo
Health Minister, Delhi, Yoganand Shastri says, “The pulse polio campaign has been a success. The fact that we haven’t seen a single case in the past one and a half years is proof of that it’s only in western up that we haven’t been able to curb it."
Health experts admit that the polio vaccine has an efficacy rate of only 70 to 90 per cent. A heavy price that Jannat will have to pay while her twin sister strides ahead.
(With Seemi Pasha and Arunoday Mukharji)
| Related links: | |
Read Comment | Post Comment
Be the first to comment.