Colombo: Facing criticism over the death
of a school girl allegedly after being administered with
Rubella vaccine, Sri Lanka has said the drug imported from
India was of international standard and its quality is good.
Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said the
rubella vaccine, an anti-measles drug, being administered in
Sri Lanka is purchased from Pune-based Serum Institute of
India.
"There is no problem about the quality. The dates for
the use of the vaccine had not expired when it was
administered," he told Parliament yesterday reacting to
reports that a school girl in Wariyapola in northern Sri Lanka
died after being administered the vaccine.
In March, a school girl had died under similar
circumstances in Matara in southern coast of Sri Lanka forcing
the Serum Institute to get the product tested from the
Maharashta Government.
"The test proved that there was nothing wrong in the
rubella vaccine and it was not sub-standard," the state run
Daily News quoted Dr Firdos Rustom Mehta, World Health
Organisation Representative to Sri Lanka, as saying.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 18:54