12 children administered sanitizer instead of polio drops in Maharashtra

YAVATMAL (MAHARASHTRA): Twelve children under five years of age were admitted to a hospital after they were administered sanitizer drops instead of polio vaccine in Maharashtra's Yavatmal on Monday, informed Yavatmal council chief executive officer Shrikrishna Panchal.

The official stated that the children are now doing fine and three officials including a health worker, doctor, and ASHA worker will be suspended in connection with the incident.

"Twelve children, under five years of age, were given hand sanitiser drops instead of polio vaccine in Yavatmal. They were admitted to the hospital and are doing fine now. A health worker, doctor, and an ASHA worker will be suspended. An investigation is underway," Shrikrishna Panchal told ANI on Monday.

This comes after President Ram Nath Kovind launched the National Polio Immunisation Drive for 2021 by administering polio drops to children less than five years old at Rashtrapati Bhawan on January 30.

According to the Union Ministry of Health, India has been free of polio for a decade, with the last case of wild poliovirus reported on 13 January 2011. The country, however, continues to remain vigilant to prevent re-entry of the poliovirus into the country from neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where wild poliovirus continues to cause disease.