The government must address the issue of poor nutrition and ineffective vaccination
LAHORE: Alarmingly, after Sindh it is the province of Punjab that is likely to experience a measles outbreak. The cases reported during the first five months of the current year are shockingly higher than the cases reported during the past year. The rise in reported cases of virus points at a low immunity against diseases and viruses, which is often a result of malnutrition and poor diet that is increasingly prevalent in rural areas of Punjab. In the past, dozens of deaths have also been reported caused by administration of expired measles vaccines. This explains why many might be reluctant to get their children vaccinated at government hospitals and why the disease is still spreading rapidly.
The government must address the issue of poor nutrition and ineffective vaccination simultaneously to control the increasing number of cases.
Anwar Chughtai
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2018.
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