One in a million: Measles vaccine crippled this girl

MUMBAI: When the Bhatts read about the death of four infants in Tamil Nadu after they were given the measles vaccine recently, it was almost as if their nightmare was unfolding all over again.

Twelve years ago, the Borivli couple’s daughter was left crippled after taking the measles vaccine.

Over the past 12 years, Pankti — who turned 18 in March — has laid immobilised in bed. She has gradually lost her vision, speech and control over movements due to a disease known as Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE). The rare progressive neurological disorder is caused by a persistent infection of the immune resistant measles virus.

“One in 1,00,000 children infected with measles contracts SSPE. Pankti was unfortunate enough to be one of those,” said Jitendra Bhatt, Pankti’s father, who works as a medical software consultant.

“The MMR vaccine is the main cause behind SSPE,” said Dr Dev Pujari, neurosurgeon, Bombay Hospital who performed a surgery on Pankti. “All vaccines have side-effects, while most are mild and negligible, there are rare cases where side-effects are severe,” he added.

Paediatrician Dr Bakul Parekh too says cases of encephalitis after the child has been administered measles vaccine are extremely rare.

In Pankti’s case, she was administered a dose of MMR vaccine in December 1989, when she was nine months old.  

“She always stood first in her class. In fact, she has even featured in five episodes of Preeti Sagar’s Phulwari Bachchon Ki,’” says her dad.

Seven years later, when Pankti was in Std I, the Bhatts started noticing that something was amiss -- Pankti had started having memory lapses. “She started falling down frequently, couldn’t balance herself and simply couldn’t write,” recalls Deepika, her mother.

The Bhatts rushed her to Hinduja Hospital where she was admitted for over six months in 1996. Several tests later, the problem was diagnosed as SSPE.  

She suffered high grade fever and convulsions and was in a semi-comatose state. Medications and surgical procedures have brought down these convulsions. Though she cannot see, speak or move, she can hear and recognise voices. “She loves listening to her father’s voice. When he goes out of town on work, we play his recorded voice to her to get her to sleep,” said Deepika.

Having tried everything from allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy to even ‘tantriks,’ the Bhatts have now given up hope that Pankti will fully recover. “The last stage in SSPE is pneumonia. Our goal right now is to ensure Pankti does not contract pneumonia,” said Jitendra.

Doctors, however, are unanimous that vaccination against measles is a must. “It is of utmost importance for every child to be vaccinated against measles,” said Dr Vrajesh Udani, consulting neurologist, Hinduja Hospital.