Over 10,243 cases of measles have been reported in Punjab during the last five months with an addition of 79 new cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday.
According to Punjab Health Department officials, at least 61 deaths have been reported so far, including one death at Lahore General Hospital on Sunday. During the last 24 hours, around 34 cases of measles were reported from city hospitals, they said. The officials termed Lahore, Gujranwala, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Kasur to be worst-hit.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Tanveer Ahmed said that it was found out after investigations that the majority of deaths in Lahore were caused by severe pneumonia and delay in reaching hospitals.
Measles vaccination is available in all hospitals of the city in an ample quantity and patients are being treated free, he said appealing to parents to get their children up to five years of age vaccinated without delay and to cooperate with vaccinators.
