Orders Health Ministry to probe and report

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday ordered an immediate halt island wide to administration of the Rubella vaccine till a full investigation into the death of a 12-year-old school girl in the Matara District is carried out.

He ordered the Health Ministry to come up with a detailed report regarding the death of Pesala Hansani, who died yesterday (20) at the Matara General Hospital a day after being vaccinated.

Police and Health Ministry officials commenced separate investigations into the death of the 12-year-old girl of Matara.

A spokesman for the Hospital said yesterday that around 150 students of grade eight had received the vaccine against German measles. Twenty two of them had taken ill immediately after receiving the vaccine and had been admitted to the Matara General Hospital.

A team of medical officers from the MOH office in Matara had administered the Rubella vaccine at the school.

The Deputy Director General (Public Health), Dr. Palitha Mahipala said he had received orders from the Health Secretary to stop the administration of the vaccine island wide.

The Health Ministry deployed a team of Epidemiologists to the Matara General Hospital (MGH) to make its own investigations.

Deputy Director General, (Public Health) Dr. Palitha Mahipala said over a million children had received the Rubella vaccine countrywide but it was the first time that such an incident had occurred. "It is true that allergies can develop, but, a thorough investigation would be carried out to see if there was something wrong with the vaccine," he said.

The Health Secretary and other officials were not available for comment at the time.

The Deputy Principal of St Thomas’ Girls School, D.M. Mataraarachchi told ‘The Island,’ that after the vaccine several students complained of head aches, and a faintish feeling. The MOH officers who were administering the vaccine stopped giving it to the remaining students immediately. Only a few students complained while the others were fine, he said. The students who fell ill were sent to the Hospital.

MOH officers visit schools annually to administer Rubella vaccine.