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Tetanus Vaccination: Formulate guideline to save children - Prof MR Khan urges govt

National Professor MR Khan yesterday urged the government to formulate a national guideline to bring children under tetanus vaccination coverage as many people, including children, die from tetanus infection every year.

“It is a national responsibility to save our children, so the government should introduce booster dose of tetanus for them,” he said.

He was addressing as chief guest a scientific seminar titled “Tetanus at present,” based on critical evaluation of patients (neonate, child and adult) admitted to Infectious Diseases Hospital, at Bangladesh Medical Research Council in the capital.

Dr Mohammad Amimul Ehsan, consultant (pediatric) of Infectious Diseases Hospital, in his presentation, said a total of 447 people, including children, were admitted to the hospital with tetanus infection from March 2010 to December 2011.

Of them, 137 patients died, he said, adding that booster dose should be introduced for children in five to six age groups.

Infectious Diseases Hospitals in collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur organised the seminar.

Speakers at the programme said, earlier tetanus infections accounted for one third of the total child deaths, though the situation had improved.

In rural areas, however, the situation remains almost the same due to the superstitious belief of the villagers that evil spirits were behind such deaths instead of tetanus infection.

Dr Ehsan said the real figure of deaths due to tetanus was yet to be known.

Source: The Daily Star