Rubella Immunization programme suspended - Susil

Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that he had ordered an immediate probe by the World Health Organisation (WHO) into the death of a school girl in Matara and 26 other children falling ill after being vaccinated for Rubella (German measles) in their school.

"This is a serious issue, we’ll find what really made these students ill and allergic after being vaccinated. If found guilty we will not hesitate to take action against those responsible," he said.

Minister Silva was answering a question raised by JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

MP Dissanayake said that one student was dead and 26 others were seriously ill after they mere vaccinated by officials of the MOH office of Matara on Thursday. These students were among 150 others of St. Thomas College, Matara.

It had been the practice of some health officials to release stocks of out dated medicine.

This they did to complete their books and make it ready for audit query. This issue of date expired medicine was a serious threat against public health, he said.

MP Dissanayake demanded to know whether this vaccination project was initiated by the school authorities or Health Ministry officials.

The Health Ministry had sent a circular to hospitals ordering the removal of some medicine that had been issued to those hospitals 14 months ago. "It is only after those medicines had been in circulation for 14 months, that the Ministry got wise and took action. This time too there could have been such a mistake," he said.

Health Minister Silva said that Thursday’s vaccination project was done as a part of a countrywide programme by the Health Ministry to vaccinate school children. The vaccine was given for the prevention of German measles. There had been no reports of an illness affecting a large number of children, he said.

The Health Ministry had already sent a team of experts and their investigation was in progress, Minister Silva said adding that he had requested the WHO to send a special team to conduct a separate scientific probe.

He requested opposition MPs not to capitalise on unfortunate incidents such as this because they would instill fear in parents who may not send their children for vaccinations which will be more dangerous.

UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena said that there were outdated medicines in hospitals and accused the Health Ministry of not taking action.

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth said the vaccination project was done by trained nurses under the supervision of a doctor and it had been organised by the MOH office in Matara. After some students reported allergy symptoms it was stopped, he said.

Minister Premajayanth said that it was planned to give the vaccine to 300 students of Grade 8 classes of St. Thomas' Girls School, Matara.

He said that the immunisation project in schools would be suspended until a probe was conducted and its reports received.