Polio rumour: 54,000 children miss

Bangalore Dec 23: Rumours of death and illness due to the polio immunisation through SMSs and rumours spread like wild fire and parents detained from taking their children to administer polio drops.

This mass hysteria has hindered the polio immunisation programme in the state as well as in Chennai. In Bangalore 54,000 children missed the administration of drops from the urban area alone.

In concern with children who missed out the drops, the health department officials on Monday, went door to door campaign to administer the drops and received a strict 'No' from the parents.

The officials declared that no child out of the 60 lakh immunised across the state on Sunday, Dec 20 had fallen sick. They asked the parents not to give their ears to such rumours. What started it all? According to the health department officials, the trigger for the rumours was a flash on a Tamil television channel (about the death of a child in Erode).
Later, people warned each other about the report which was aired on the TV channel. Even on Monday, Dec 22 parents seemed to be worried and rushed to hospital to inquire about the administered polio drops.

Bowring hospital doctors filed a complaint against the crowd as well as local television which broadcast the false reports of polio drive. However, many people agreed it was rumour.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)