Foreign lab may help probe vaccine deaths

In the wake of the recent deaths of children in Lucknow and Ghaziabad after they received a measles shot,the Union Health Ministry under Ghulam Nabi Azad...

In the wake of the recent deaths of children in Lucknow and Ghaziabad after they received a measles shot,the Union Health Ministry under Ghulam Nabi Azad has proposed to rope in an international laboratory to help investigate the reasons behind the deaths.

Samples have already been sent to the Central government approved CRI in Kasauli,and while officials do not doubt its results,they are of the view that roping in an international laboratory will help in maintaining accountability. We want to be double sure before we point the reasons. This will therefore prove to be helpful, said a senior official in the Health Ministry.

Experts say that there could be two reasons for children dying after receiving a shot: either it is the efficacy of the vaccine or due to wrong handling. So far,CRI,Kasauli has always given a clean chit to the efficacy of the vaccine.

According to sources,this will also help them know if at all changes in the National Immunisation Policy is required. The twins who died in Ghaziabad recently were administered vaccination by a private doctor. It is therefore important to see if private doctors should be allowed to give vaccination,especially those which are already under the National Immunisation Programme, said another official.

In 2008 the Ministry had sent samples to the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control in London after some children had died and apprehensions were raised. Deaths were reported one after another from Chennai,Aurangabad and Assam. A committee was formed to look into the reasons after which it was decided to send the samples to a WHO-approved laboratory in London. Even though the results were the same as that of our domestic laboratory,it just made us confident, added another official.

The Health Minister has asked the DG,Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR,Dr V M Katoch to look into the possibilities of sending samples abroad simultaneously in future cases.

In August,four children died after they were administered measles vaccine. The deaths resulted in a blame game between the state and the Centre. While the state health authorities said that the children died due to substandard vaccine and asked the Centre for compensation for the families of the deceased,the Health Ministry team which also probed the case has in turn blamed the state for the deaths. In yet another case this week,twins died after they were given a shot by a private practitioner.