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Paediatric vaccines sent for tests, says Tamil Nadu govt after 2 infants die
Coimbatore's health department said the same batch of vaccine has been administered to 7,000 babies across the district who did not face any problem
Tamil Nadu’s health department officials have decided to send samples of some paediatric vaccines for tests after two infants died in Coimbatore within hours of being administered the vaccines, people familiar with the matter said.
Officials have asserted that the death of the two infants, both around 75 days old, was not linked to their vaccination but decided to nevertheless get the vials tested.
“The same batch of vaccine has been administered to 7000 babies across Coimbatore and there has been no issue reported so far,” said Coimbatore's deputy director of health, Dr G Ramesh Kumar.
“We are monitoring twenty other babies who were vaccinated along with these two babies. Through the drug inspector, the partially used vials will be sent to Kausauli’s Central Drug Laboratory for testing.”
The post-mortem report on one of the babies who had breathing difficulty and died four hours after being administered the vaccines attributed the death to what has been described as a pneumonic consolidation on the left lung.
The family of the second infant who died 18 hours after being administered the vaccines, told the hospital not to conduct the autopsy on their child.
The infants had received three vaccines - Pentavalent, rotavirus and oral polio on Wednesday at two centres.
Pentavalent is a five-in-one vaccine given to all newborns for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B.
Thirteen other children who also received the same batch of vaccination along with him at an anganwadi in Masakalipalayam are said to be healthy. Six other children who were vaccinated along with the second infant at a primary healthcare centre in Sowripalayam are also said to be fine.
“The vaccine technical committee is looking into the cause of deaths,” health secretary Radhakrishnan told reporters in Coimbatore on Thursday.
“We will do a thorough inquiry. When there is an adverse event, we immediately stop the batch of vaccines and report to local and district committees. In this case, other babies who were given the same batch of vaccines are normal. It’s not right to speculate; the committee will find the correct cause.”
