Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : January 18, 2015 12:52 PM IST
Chennai, 18 January: As a nation it seems like we are becoming less careful about infant and neonatal health and death of children after vaccination is a proof of our negligence. Neonatal deaths have become like a norm in the country now. The previous year the Malda Medical College had witnessed around 13 infant deaths in a span of two days.
Last month in Delhi a child died after receiving a dose of rotavirus vaccination and now two more infants die at a government hospital in Chennai allegedly after being administered BCG vaccination. The infants, admitted to Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, died this morning.
The parents alleged that the infants fell sick after they were administered BCG vaccination last week. The children were in the intensive care unit since then. Here are 10 vaccination recommended for your child.
What is a BCG vaccination? How does it help?
BCG vaccine is given to a newborn child to give him or her immunity from tuberculosis. It is administered intramuscularly on the upper right arm of the child. Currently, vaccination drive is being held in two phases for pregnant ladies and to children. Apart from these vaccination programmes, every year about 12 lakh pregnant women and 11 lakh infants benefit out of the pulse polio immunisation camps conducted in the State, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said in a statement. He further stated that there are no possible side-effects of the vaccination and it has provided immunity to several children. Here are eight ways to help your child during vaccination.
Did the BCG vaccine really kill the infants?
Ignoring the severity and loss of life of the infants, government further clarified that the vaccines, after being subjected to various tests, are kept in strict temperatures and then provided to the states by the Centre, he said. Vaccinations help infants develop immunity. Therefore, pregnant ladies and infants are requested to get these vaccinations without any fail, he said. So what is the possible explanation of the sudden death after the vaccination? Probably, we would not get a clear answer on this issue at the moment.
With inputs from PTI
Image source: Getty Images
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