Deaths from measles vaccination

The deaths of four children in Damoh at Aganwadi centres after they were administered anti-measles vaccine poses question mark on the safety aspects being adopted by the concerned health officials. It may be a different matter if the deaths were the result of negligence or mistake by the concerned nurse but if the vaccines were from the expired lot, then it poses a serious threat to the life of other children also as the vaccines may have reached at many other places also.
At many times, due to considerable delay in the transport of the vaccines, the vaccines may become old. Even then, at times, in absence of any effective monitoring authority, the vaccines may be used causing problems to the children. The Health Department, through the radio and visual media, lays great emphasis on vaccination of children to prevent them from various illnesses. At the national level there is the polio drive; to prevent from cholera and other such epidemics, the administration carries out vaccination drive from time to time. In the Damoh incident, a nurse has been arrested and a doctor and an official of the Vaccine depot suspended.
It may be mentioned here that many government dispensaries do not have stocks of anti-rabies injunctions. Any delay in treatment of people bit by dog could prove dangerous.