Panel to probe vaccine deaths

Three children died last week after being given the shots

MUMBAI: The state government on Tuesday instituted a four-member committee to probe last week’s deaths of three children following the administration of DPT vaccines in various health posts. All the three children who died after being administered vaccines like BCG, OPV and DPT were aged between a month and two months.

The 60 vials of the vaccines in question had been withdrawn from the three health posts. “Other children who received doses at these centres have already been checked by medical officers and they are doing fine,” said Dr Prakash Doke, director general of health services, Maharashtra. “We are closely monitoring these children,” he added.

The samples of the vaccines have been sent to Central Drug Laboratory, Kasauli, to test for contamination of the vaccines. Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities initially maintained that though the deaths were unusual they should not be attributed to the vaccines.

“We are awaiting both the post-mortem reports of the children as well as the report from Kasauli about the potency of the vaccine,” said Dr Jairaj Thanekar. He added that the usage of the entire batch of BCG vaccines had been stopped.