Pakistan Paediatric Association (PPA), Central, President Prof Dr Iqbal Memon has said that sharply changing weather may increase respiratory infections, pneumonia, gastro, typhoid, malaria and dengue fever cases in children.
Talking to PPI, Prof Memon said some disease like measles, flu, cough and respiratory infections were generally reported in winter season and children were most vulnerable to these diseases due to their incomplete and weak immune system. He said precautionary measures were needed to prevent children from these winter diseases.
He said preventative vaccination course was a complete package for growing children and parents should get their kids vaccinated as per schedule in order to avoid such diseases that mostly occur in this weather. He said vaccination was available in healthcare centres and parents must feel their responsibilities in this regard.
He said nothing was above the health of children and if the vaccination was not available in government hospitals then parents should approach private hospitals to get their children vaccinated in time. He said vaccination was their children’s right and also a duty of all the parents and the government should ensure proper steps in this regard.
Prof Iqbal said children develop various diseases due to physical contact with other family members thus special care was needed to prevent children from diseases through precautionary measures.
He said the provincial health department was going to launch polio vaccination through injection in high-risk union councils of Sindh province. He said new method was for saving children. He applauded the efforts of Sindh government to eliminate polio virus by vaccinating children through injections.
He said there were two types of vaccines that protect against polio including inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). He said the IPV was given as an injection in the leg or arm. He said authorities concerned also recommend initiating inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) from next year across the country and one doze to be given to children during next year campaigns.