Girl, 5, dies after measles shot: SHRC tells govt to pay ₹2L relief

Girl, 5, dies after measles shot: SHRC tells govt to pay ₹2L relief

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:26.01.2021

The State Human Rights Commission recommended a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the father of a five-yearold girl who died a day after she was administered the Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccine at the Institute of Social Paediatrics, Stanley Medical College Hospital, in 2018. The commission had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident based on a newspaper report.

D Gopi, father of D G Thanishka, had submitted that the child did not suffer from any health issues before she was administered the vaccine around 11am on May 2, 2018. Within 15 minutes, Thanishka complained of breathless, severe burning in the eyes and fainted. She was then taken to the emergency ward by hospital staff and the parents were not allowed to see her, he said. She was pronounced dead the next day.

In response, Selvi, assistant professor at the Institute of Social Paediatrics, the dean and the head of the department at the institute denied allegations of medical negligence and irregularities. After the vaccination, the child had developed anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) which was promptly identified and treated. The respondents denied allegations of not allowing the parents to see the child. Further, they said 20 children were administered the shot that day from the same MR vial and no other complications were reported.

Based on the evidence, commission member D Jayachandran observed, “It is not in dispute that the child died due to pulmonary edema with pneumonitis and acute tubular injury of the kidneys. But the respondent has not produced any document to show that the child died due to individual immune response to the vaccine,” and ruled that the Government of Tamil Nadu pay ₹2 lakh relief.