Though Kozhikode has some pockets of resistance to immunisation, health officials on Thursday said the situation was not as bad as it was in certain areas of the neighbouring Malappuram district, where fresh cases of diphtheria have been detected.
However, vigil is on at Cheruvady that borders Malappuram. Though there has been 70 per cent immunisation at Cheruvady, the vigil continues, as there is resistance from some sections, Health Department sources said.
The other known areas of resistance in Kozhikode are Nadapuram, Thooneri, and Kuttiyadi, where health workers are constantly checking for possible cases of diphtheria. But, so far, no case has been reported from Kozhikode, the sources added. The cases currently being treated at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (MCH) are from Malappuram. Meanwhile, MCH Medical Superintendent K.C. Soman said three children were being treated at the hospital. All of them are stable and are being administered anti-toxins.
Delay a cause for concern
“The problem with such cases is the delay in taking patients to hospital. Yet, we have saved the lives of three patients. This illness is totally preventable through immunisation. The cases that have come in so far, including two deaths, are in areas in just 5-km radius in Malappuram,” Dr. Soman said, adding that such cases were from vaccination-resistant pockets.
