Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 22:20:09 -0500 (EST)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Subject: PRO/EDR> Poliomyelitis, vaccination deaths - India (Assam)




POLIOMYELITIS, VACCINATION DEATHS - INDIA (ASSAM)
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[see also:
2000
----
Poliomyelitis, suspected - India: post-vaccination      20001220.2234]

Date: Mon 12 Nov 2001 23:22:27 -0600
From: Henry V. Huang <huang@borcim.wustl.edu>
Source: BBC News Online, Mon 12 Nov 2001 [edited]
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1651000/1651863.stm>


Morbidity and Mortality after Polio vaccination in Assam
--------------------------------------------------------
CALCUTTA: At least 10 children have died in India's northeastern state of 
Assam of side effects after being administered a vaccine during an polio 
immunisation campaign run by the state government. More than 500 children 
have been admitted to government and private hospitals after falling sick. 
Angry groups of parents have surrounded offices of the local administration 
in protest in Assam's southern city of Silchar.

On Sunday, thousands of children were administered a polio vaccine 
throughout Assam and the rest of the country. But within a day of the 
massive polio immunisation campaign, reports have come in of large-scale 
side effects in and around the city of Silchar in southern Assam. Officials 
say 9 children have died in one village -- Labok -- while one died in 
Malugram locality of Silchar.

Non-governmental organisations in Silchar who assist the government in this 
campaign say outdated vaccines were possibly supplied in some areas. But 
officials were not willing to speculate on the causes of the large-scale 
side effects.

[Byline: Subir Bhaumik]

--
Henry V. Huang
Dept. of Molecular Microbiology
Washington U. School of Medicine
Box 8230, 660 S. Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110-1093 USA
<huang@borcim.wustl.edu>

[Dr. Huang comments that: The children became sick the day after the 
vaccine campaign, so it's unlikely that the vaccine per se is the problem. 
However, potential problems with that batch of vaccines, e.g., 
contamination, failure of cold chain, etc., are possible. - Mod.CP]
....................cp/pg/es
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