In a shocking incident, 12 children were hospitalised in Maharashtra after they were administered sanitiser drops instead of Polio vaccination on Monday. All hospitalised children are under the age of five years.
Yavatmal District Council Chief Executive Officer Shrikrishna Panchal informed that the children’s condition is currently stable and that they are under observation. Panchal added that negligence on the part of the primary health care (PHC) staff led to one child vomiting and complaining of uneasiness.
“Twelve children under five years of age were given hand sanitiser drops instead of the polio vaccine in Yavatmal. Three people — a doctor, a health worker and an ASHA worker — were present at the PHC during the vaccination and would be issued a suspension. A probe into this incident is underway,” Panchal told a news agency.
This incident comes after President Ram Nath Kovind kicked off the National Polio Vaccination Drive on January 30 in New Delhi. Children under the age of five were administered the polio vaccine at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan on the same day.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry announced that India has been polio-free for a decade. The last case of polio in India was detected on January 13, 2011. Despite being polio-free, India continues to be vigilant against the virus as neighbouring countries continue to report the disease.
