Taking “4-10 doses†of the polio vaccine is thought to be good enough to keep Polio at bay, but the same did not hold true for a one-year-old girl, Jannat in Bihar, India.
So far, Jannat has had none doses of the vaccine- two under routine immunization programme and seven booster doses under the pulse polio programme. Yet, Jannat, who is the daughter of Jameel Akhtar, a tailor from Bihar was diagnosed with the dreadful disease. Jannat has been limping since October 11, soon after she was administered wit the last polio drop.
Father Jameel Akthar confirmed that both his daughters, including Jannat were given all the polio drops since their birth in August the previous year.
Health officials say that Sabin oral Polio drop, which is used for immunization has an efficacy rate of only 70-90%, and may be ineffective if administered to a child with diarrhoea, as it may not remain long enough in the body to produce antibodies.
A senior official also said that no vaccine could ever be 100 per cent foolproof. He said that another possibility is that the child could have a compromised immune system.