Child dies a week after vaccination

SHILLONG: A five-year-old child who had undergone Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination died a week after at Amingokgre village under Dadenggre sub-division in West Garo Hills.
According to a health official, the male child was administered MR vaccine on October 1.
He came with his mother the next day to the Community Health Centre with complaints of mild fever and swelling of the right side of the neck for which required medication was prescribed and was advised to follow up after two days.
“The patient did not turn up for follow-up and came back after six days with complains of swelling of face and abdomen with difficulty in breathing. The patient was referred to a higher centre for further treatment,” an official statement said.
The patient was brought on October 9 around 12.30 am with complaints of swelling of face and abdomen for one week and difficulty in breathing for one day. The patient was a febrile.
“There is previous history of recurrent respiratory illness given by the patient’s father for which local medication was given. The patient complained of pain in abdomen followed by vomiting. Post vomiting, the patient became cyanosed, the breathlessness worsened and he expired at 6:25 am on October 9. The cause of death could be aspiration pneumonia with suspected septicaemia,” the health official said.
According to the health department, due to the complications and the clinical findings, the cause of death cannot be attributed to Measles-Rubella vaccine as per WHO guidelines.