Polio makes a comeback in Karnataka

‘‘The cases in UP and West Bengal were reported in the first few months of 2003 but in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, polio cases are being reported since May and the numbers are rising,’’ the official said. ‘‘Since the state did not report any cases in the past few years, it was their chance to strengthen routine immunisation. But they failed to do so, the result is the re-emergence of virus,’’ he added.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala have shown good results as the virus has failed to enter the states for five years now. Kerala reported only a single case in Malapuram in 2000.

While agreeing that there is a 25 per cent gap in the immunity programmes in the north Karnataka region, state’s Additional Director for Communicable Diseases R.K. Kumaraswamy added that parents are reluctant to get their children immunised. ‘‘Parents here feel that immunisation would harm their children,’’ he said.

Vacancies of Anganawadi workers’ posts in the state has also been a constraint in carrying out immunisation programmes. While there are 54 vacancies in Bellary district, 93 posts are lying vacant in Raichur district, Kumaraswamy said. The failure in routine immunisation has given India a distinction of leading the world in the number of reported cases. In 2000, India contributed 37 per cent of the cases in the world. By 2002, it had reached 83 per cent with just UP contributing 64 per cent of the total reported cases in the world.

Following reports of contamination of polio vaccines, the Health Ministry cancelled a consignment of polio vaccines to be supplied across the country in August. Samples were taken by WHO experts and sent for testing to laboratories in Netherlands and UK. The final reports are awaited though initial reports suggest that none of the samples was contaminated.