News

Volume 4 Issue 17 - September 01, 2006

Vaccine fails; 160 new cases of polio in U.P.

D.N.I.S. News Network – In a negative turn of events, 160 cases of polio have been detected in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) this year alone. What’s more shocking is the fact that all those affected are children who were administered the polio drops.

Crores of rupees have been spent on polio campaigns in India. Yet, 160 cases have been reported from a total of 19 districts of western and central U.P. It is a matter of grave concern that the vaccine sent by W.H.O. has reportedly failed in the state. What more, the U.P. Health Minister Ahmed Hassan has admitted that all the polio cases had been detected in the children who were administered the polio drops.

Viewing these developments in a very serious light, the U.P. Government has removed the Director General of Family Welfare, B.L. Prasad. The state Governor T.V. Rajeswar is also reported to have written a letter to the Union Health Minister A. Ramadoss to get the vaccine investigated by a team of experts.

In 2005 there were only 29 new polio cases in U.P., as compared to 160 in 2006 – with four more months to go! Moradabad with 52, J.P. Nagar with 17, and Badayun with 13 cases are reportedly the three most affected districts in the state.