Bhopal: The anti-measles vaccine which
resulted in the death of four infants in Damoh district had
turned poisonous as it was used more than three hours after
its powder was mixed with a solvent, a health official said
on Monday.
"Initially we have found that the vaccine administered to
the victims turned poisonous as it was used more than three
hours after its powder was mixed with a solvent," Madhya
Pradesh Health Director A N Mittal said after returning
from Damoh.
Mittal denied that a vaccine with expired date had been
used resulting into the incident and said that the medicine's
expiry date was September 2010.
Vaccines of same batch was used at 12 other centres in
Damoh, where no problem was reported, he added.
Mittal further said that the remaining vaccine mixture
which resulted in the deaths was seized by police and would be
sent to Forensic Sciences Laboratory for examination.
He said that strict action has been taken against
Auxiliary Nurse and Mid-Wife (ANM) Durga Tiwari, who according
to the initial inquiries appeared to be entirely responsible
for the incident.
Four infants died while 11 others fell critically ill and
are undergoing treatment at Damoh district hospital after they
were allegedly administered measles vaccines on March 12 by
ANM Tiwari at Anganwadi Centres run by the State Women and
Child Development department.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 15, 2010, 19:35