Gujarat: Vaccine deaths – Team from Centre gives clean-chit

The team of immunisation experts — which was rushed by the Centre to probe the deaths of four children in the state after they were administered the measles-rubella vaccination (MR) — on Saturday gave a clean chit to the vaccine in the case.

A four-member Adverse Effect Following Immunisation (AEFI) Committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner (Immunisation) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is in the state to investigate the deaths. The five-week-long drive to vaccinate 1.6 crore children in the state between the ages of 9 months to 15 years, was started on July 16.

Deputy Commissioner (Immunisation), Pradeep Haldar told reporters here, "The MR vaccination programme is safe, and the deaths of four children after they were administered the vaccine was due to reasons that are not related to the vaccination. The children died within five days after they were given the vaccination. They showed acute abdomen symptom, acute gastritis, viral encephalitis and drug reaction, which are not related to vaccination."

"Their deaths were sporadic. None of the 100-200 other children vaccinated along with them had any complaints. So, in our primary report, we conclude that the deaths are not related to the vaccination. The families of two of these children had agreed for post-mortem on the deceased, reports of which are awaited," he further said.

Additional Chief Secretary of state Health and Family Welfare department, Poonamchand Parmar, also seconded the findings of the AEFI probe committee. He also said that he took his two granddaughters for vaccination and nothing happened to them.

Parmar said, "Around 61.36 lakh children have been vaccinated in Gujarat with the daily average of 5 to 8 lakh children since the campaign was launched. Gujarat is the 21st state that has started this drive under the aegis of the Union government's National Health Mission (NHM). Over 9.5 crore children, across 20 states and union territories, have already been vaccinated."

What is the case?

Four children were reported to have died after they were administered the MR vaccine in schools. Sneha Rathod (14) from Sabarkantha district, Mukesh Gameti (7) from Arvalli district, Dimple Maheshwari (13) from Kutch district and Sunil Thakor (12) from Ahmedabad district had died within five days of being administered the MR vaccine. The misconception among people in the Muslim community also developed that the MR vaccine was a conspiracy by anti-Muslim outfits and the vaccine would make male children impotent in the future.

Measles Rubella disease in Gujarat so far

Total 33 cases of MR disease were reported in 2010 and 7 cases of the viral disease in 2013. Total infant mortality rate (IMR) has dropped in Gujarat from 44 cases reported in 2010 to 30 in 2016. The state also presented the claim that the government could avoid 27,600 deaths of infants through intensive care programme of expectant and lactating women and newborn babies to all children.