Health department orders to not use paediatric vaccines

Coimbatore, Feb 19 (PTI): The Health Department here onFriday asked the anganwadis and primary health centres (PHCs)not to use a particular batch of vaccines following the deathof two infants a couple of days ago.

Postmortem revealed the death of one infant due topneumonia and the cause of the other death was yet to beascertained, sources in the department said.

Since the parents were panicky, the department orderednot to use the particular batch of paediatric vaccines untilfurther orders, even as the condition of nearly 35 babiesvaccinated at both the centres was reported normal, theysaid.

The babies, aged 2.5 months and three months, died afterthey were given pentavalent, rotavirus and oral poliovaccines at an anganawadi at Masakalipalayam and in a PHC atSowripaqlayam in the city on Thursday.