KARACHI: As many as eight children have died from vaccine-preventable disease, measles, in Sindh province while more than 100 others were also affected from this disease this year so far.

Health Services Sindh Director General Dr Mohammad Akhlaq Khan, while talking to PPI, said eight children have already been died of measles in Sindh province so far out of them four deaths were reported from Badin and four from suburban areas of Hyderabad. He said these deaths were confirmed after clinical investigation.

He informed that more than 100 children were also affected from this vaccine preventable disease in outskirts areas of Badin and Hyderabad districts. However, No death was reported from measles in Karachi city since 1st January 2018.

Dr Akhlaq Khan said although all vaccines are available at Vaccination Centres throughout province but unfortunately a large section of population was unaware and careless of protecting the new generation through proper vaccination consumption despite availability of the free of cost facility.

He said children deprived of vaccination were posing serious risk of spreading diseases among those who were already vaccinated therefore all stakeholders of society should play their due role for increasing the vaccination coverage in the province in order to prevent children from dying and disability in future.

He said a seven-member committee constituted by Sindh Health Department to probe the deaths of three children and matter of severe illness of six other children will submit its report soon health department.

Experts said measles is an airborne disease which spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of those infected and fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) while tiny white spots with bluish-white centers on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek are some major symptoms of disease.