Acute shortage of chickenpox vaccine leaves parents worried

A severe shortage of chickenpox vaccine in the city for the past more than two months has left parents of infants worried.

The disease causes red spots and rashes all over the body, fever in many cases and is highly contagious.

Sources said the vaccination which was available in the market earlier was being sold in black at around `1,400 and now the stock was not even available with chemists.

Aman Ahuja, president of Ludhiana Chemist Association, said: "We have not been getting the vaccination for chickenpox for the last three months. The supply is halted from back and thus we could be able to provide this vaccination when the company will resume its services."

Baldev Singh, a resident of Chauni Mohalla, said: "I tried almost every big chemist shop to get the vaccine, but failed to get one as I was told that the supply has been stopped." The Punjab government should take a note of the matter as it was related with the health of children, he said.

Dr Vikas Bansal, consultant pediatrician at SPS Apollo Hospital, said: "The vaccination supply has stopped as GlaxoSmithKline, a company which was providing the vaccination, has said that it has to stop production because the government has enforced some checks on it. Now, the company has informed that it will be able to provide the vaccine in February only."

Dr Bansal said parents were worried as they were not getting the vaccine in market. He said the vaccine was recommended as it stopped the chickenpox, which at times, could enter into head and could be dangerous.

But he said parents should not worry much as if their kid did not get chickenpox by the time medicine was available, they could get it injected later.

It is pertinent to mention here that children above one year are administered two doses of vaccine for complete protection.