Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: The toll raised to five as three more infant died of allegedly polio vaccination here in different areas of tehsil Bara and Landikotal of Khyber Agency, effected families told reporters on Tuesday

The deceased children were identified as Zakir4 s/o Muhammad Usman, resident of Shakas, Kamar Khel,one month old Umar Khethab s/o Abdurrazaq, BazGra, KamarKhel,Bara tehsil while a four month old girl Safoora d/o Muhammad Farooq, Piro Khel tehsil Landikotal.

The health officials confirmed it and said that investigative teams had been dispatched to the areas.

Muhammad Usman, father of a dead child, 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 the workers neglected it and insisted to administer him the drops.

The child health deteriorated within a hour soon after it was administered and was immediately rushed to Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar but expired during treatment, he regretted. Four-month-old deceased girl Safoora’s father Muhammad Farroq said that his daughter was a healthy girl and in last four she had never been taken to doctor for any kind of disease but after vaccinated of anti-polio drops in the polio campaign, following a mouthful vomiting she breathed her last previous day.

He warned that if cause of his daughter death was not sort out, the dwellers of PiroKhel would not risk their children lives by feeding them the polio drops.

Agency Surgeon Dr Niaz Afridi in his version said that the samples of polio vaccine had been sent to Islamabad for test was certified positive and safe for children use.

Emergency health teams were sent off to the areas for inquiry and soon cause of the death of the infants would be known.

He further said that on the directions of high ups the polio campaign had been suspended in Khyber since 22 December.