Punjab decides launching vaccine drive to curb XDR typhoid outbreak

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch a special vaccination drive over fear of an outbreak of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Sources told ARY News that the vaccine drive will be launched in the urban areas of 13 sensitive districts of Punjab including Islamabad to curb the spread of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid.

The duration of the vaccination campaign will be two weeks in specific districts which will be initiated from February 1 to 15 to administer anti-typhoid injections to the children aged between nine months to 15 years.

Read: Doctors report increasing typhoid cases in Punjab than COVID-19

Earlier, the Sindh government had witnessed a record reduction in typhoid cases after completing the immunisation drive against XDR typhoid.

In July last year, the National Institute of Health (NIH) had also issued an advisory regarding prevention and control of the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever.

The NIH had advised health officials across the country to be prepared timely for prevention and control of the extensively drug-resistant typhoid fever.

Health authorities in the country had reported an outbreak of the XDR typhoid fever that began in the country in November 2016. The outbreak has spread to provinces throughout the country, and several deaths have been reported.

Read: 4.8 million children inoculated against typhoid in a week

This strain of Salmonella Typhi does not respond to most third generation antibiotics used to treat typhoid fever (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone), according to the NIH advisory.

Polluted water, frozen fruits and unsafe food could cause the XDR typhoid, NIH advisory said. Wash your hands often, especially before eating and avoid eating food prepared by anyone who is sick or has recently been sick as a person could be infected from him or her.

Schoolchildren could be an easy target of the typhoid infection, which have a duration from six to 14 days, according to the advisory.