The final postmortem report of a two-year-old boy who died hours after receiving oral polio vaccine has categorically established that the cause of death was not the vaccine.
Examination of visceral samples (stomach, liver, intestine, kidney, lungs and their contents) clearly revealed that there was no sign of either the drug or any other poison in any of those organs. The report was accessed by The Hindu . This further reinstates the view of the preliminary report that death was due to asphyxia caused by aspiration of food into the wind pipe.
Joshua, the child, was given polio drops at an anganwadi in Padappai, a Chennai suburb, during the Pulse Polio round held in January.
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Principal Secretary, Health, V.K. Subburaj, said, “There was no doubt whatsoever that the vaccine had nothing to do with it. The OPV does not cause death, it is a safe vaccine. It is essential for members of the public to realise this, and ensure their children do not miss any dose.” The Pulse polio vaccine is an extra dose given to children under five years, apart from the dose given as part of the immunisation schedule.
“The extra round is to ensure that transmission of the wild polio virus is stopped,” explained Director of Public Health R.T. Porkaipandian. Tamil Nadu is said to be at the forefront of polio control activities in the country.