Health department attributes children's illness to scabies, doctors say reaction normal due to low immunity

NOIDA: While 12 of the 17 children who who fell sick after adverse reaction following administration of the Measles-Rubella vaccine, have been referred to the child PGI from the government institute of medical science (GIMS), the health department has come forward with a diagnosis -completely different from what the doctors have been stating.
A day when a team from the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited the district to survey the free vaccination programme of the central government under which about seven lakhs children in Gautam Budh Nagar have to undergo checks, the health department has said that the reason for the children falling sick was “scabies” and not “adverse reaction aftervaccination” as noted in the different case summaries of the children earlier.
While most of the prescriptions of the children admitted at the child PGI termed them as AEFI (adverse event following immunisation) patients, the health department has said that the children were affected by scabies- whose most common symptoms are rashes and intense itching.
District immunisation officer (DIO) Dr Nepal Singh had on Wednesday admitted that the children could have developed hypersensitivity after getting the vaccine.
One of the doctors who met the children on Monday night said on condition of anonymity that it was possible that the children had a low immunity level and the vaccine reacted adversely.
“This is a normal reaction induced in very few children who may be low on immunity. This is a WHO-certified vaccine and is completely safe. This kind of reaction is possible in few children. The vaccine is completely safe and there are many myths around it. Some children may also indulge in attention-seeking behaviour,” the doctor said.
Another doctor said on condition of anonymity that the children may be low on immunity and such a reaction was possible due to the antibodies that develop in the body post vaccination.
“This reaction is possible when the body produces antibodies and some children take time to adjust with it. They are them administered another dose,” he said.
Chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Anurag Bhargava told TOI that the children who belong to Jewar area were suffering from scabies and the Jewar belt saw rampant cases of scabies.
However, the parents of the children have denied any kind of disease prior to the vaccine.
Meanwhile, a team from the WHO visited the Sorkha Primary School in Salarpur and surveyed the immunisation programme happening there along with visiting the JJ colonies in Sector 76 where labourers were interviewed.
The department is providing free treatment to the children whose parents have been anxious to know the cause of illness.
“The children are better and some will be discharged by Thursday evening but we have not been given any answer about why the children fell ill,” said Udham Singh, father of Abhishek Kumar (14).
Meanwhile, following reports of the children falling sick post vaccination, as many as 25 private schools said no to vaccination without taking consent from the parents.
“The vaccination had to happen in 48 schools but was done in only 23 schools today. There is no requirement of consent from the parents for vaccination but schools are taking consent from the parents to avoid any kind of negative publicity,” Bhargava said.
In a consent form issued by a private school in Sector 62, the parents have been asked to tick whether they convey their consent or “do not want the child to be given Measles-Rubella vaccine”.