The Centre has begun a probe into the death of four infants after they were administered anti-measles vaccine in a Madhya Pradesh town even as the State Health Department has asked medicos not to use such immunisation drugs two hours after mixing them with solvent.
A Union Health Ministry team from New Delhi, which reached Damoh on Monday, has started an inquiry into the incident in Damoh on March 12, officials said.
The team includes national head of the vaccination programme R.S. Gupta and Vivek Diwan, child specialist of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
“It is unfortunate that four infants have died. The guilty will be punished,” Gupta told reporters yesterday.
Four infants died while 11 others fell ill after they were allegedly administered measles vaccines by Auxiliary Nurse and Mid-Wife (ANM) Durga Tiwari. She arrested following the tragedy.
Initial investigations have revealed that the measles vaccine had turned poisonous as it was used more than three hours of being mixed with the solvent, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the State Health Department has asked medicos not to use vaccines two hours after they were mixed with solvent.
“We have asked medical staff engaged in different vaccination programmes to ensure that they do not immunise kids with vaccines two hours after they are mixed with a solvent,” State health officials said.
