Two Coimbatore babies die just after vaccination

CHENNAI/COIMBATORE: The State Health Department has launched an investigation into the deaths of two children hours after being administered the pentavalent vaccine on Wednesday. Officials say the vaccines given to both the victims were from different batches. 

In Masakalipalayam area of Coimbatore, a three-month-old boy developed breathing difficulties just two hours after returning from getting vaccinated at an Anganwadi. The parents took the child to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) at 1.30 pm Wednesday, where he was declared dead.

A postmortem was advised. However, the parents took the boy’s body to Uppilipalaym PHC by 2.55 pm, hiding the fact that they had already been to the CMCH. While the parents blamed the vaccine for the death, officials alleged the child died of pneumonia. 

In the second case, a one-and-a-half-month-old boy, who was vaccinated at the Sowripalayam Urban Primary Health Centre, also in Coimbatore, and was active till Wednesday midnight, died in his sleep early on Thursday. Then the parents took the baby to a private hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Cannot relate these deaths to vaccine: Health Secretary

The baby had no previous health complaints, according to the health department officials report. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said the department had launched an investigation following the two deaths. “We cannot relate these deaths to the vaccine deaths, as the other children who were given the vaccine from the same batch are doing fine.

DDHS officials will probe the adverse reactions of the vaccine. We can comment anything only after seeing the report,” Radhakrishnan said. Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Director of Health Department in Coimbatore, G Rameshkumar said, “Preliminary investigation and postmortem report revealed that the child in Masakalipalayam died of pneumonia fever.

The child was down with pneumonia for more than a week, but the parents were unaware and failed to give immediate treatment for fever.” He further said that along with the child, as many as 14 children were administered the vaccine at the centre on Wednesday. He pointed out that the other 13 children are stable and have no health complications.