The Indian Express: Mumbai: Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
In the last
decade, Maharashtra has accounted for 187 deaths as adverse events following
immunisation (AEFI) with maximum cases reported from Buldhana, all of which
were recorded in 2009, followed by Mumbai with 29 deaths and Gadchiroli and
Pune with 22 deaths each.
The data was
brought out by a Right to Information query filed by activist Chetan Kothari.
Across India, of the 10,612 deaths associated with AEFI, Andhra Pradesh
accounted for half (5,800) among children from 2008 to 2017. Odisha comes next
with 1,087 deaths followed by Bihar with 752.
AEFI,
commonly referred to as vaccine associated adverse effects, is a medical
complication that arises post immunisation. It may or may not have direct
relationship with vaccine administered to the child. The World Health
Organisation (WHO) claims that “majority of events thought to be related to the
administration of a vaccine are actually not due to the vaccine itself many are
simply coincidental events, others (particularly in developing countries) are
due to human, or programme, error.”
Between 2008
till 2017, Maharashtra accounted for 187 deaths due to immunisation. The toll
has remained inconsistent over the years. In 2010, 20 deaths were recorded
which dipped to 10 in 2013, to 9 in 2015 and suddenly jumped to 24 in 2017.
Health officials claim higher cases have been detected due to improved
surveillance.
“Any death
that occurs within 48 hours of vaccination is analysed. If we find more than one
such case in a batch, we immediately stop the entire batch of vaccine,” said Dr
Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation,
adding that not every death post vaccination is caused by the vaccine itself.
“Deaths may occur due to reaction to vaccine, aspiration pneumonia, or if child
is not fed well,” she said.
State
immunisation officer Dilip Patil said any death reported after immunisation is
first analysed by district AEFI committee, followed by state committee and finally
by the national committee. An expert committee, including pediatricians,
anaesthetists and physicians, analyses the cause behind the death of a child.
“Death due to adverse effect of immunisation is very rare. It may happen in
extreme cases of reaction,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, in-charge of maternity
homes in BMC where routine immunisation is provided.
The RTI data
indicates that deaths due to immunisation are higher in rural areas and
specifically in government hospitals. In 2017, of 24 deaths in Maharashtra, 20
happened in rural regions such as Palghar, Washim, Pune, Gondia, Kolhapur,
Nandurbar after children were administered vaccine in government hospitals or
camps. Maximum deaths were reported from Washim with eight children reported
dead due to AEFI in 2017.
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