Pondy Govt to stop measles vaccine for fortnight: Minister

Puducherry,Apr 25(UNI) The Puducherry administration has stopped administering measles vaccine for a fortnight following reports of children dying in Tamil Nadu after being given the shots, Health Minister E Valsaraj told the Assembly today.

Replying to a special mention on the issue tabled by Mr A Anbazhagan (AIADMK), Mr Valsaraj said four deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu.

They came to know that the state government had purchased the vaccine from a Hyderabad-based company while the Puducherry administation had bought them from Serum Industries, Pune.

However, the vaccine here would also be sent for a laboratory test in Himachal Pradesh as done by Tamil Nadu. In the meantime, the government decided to stop administering the vaccine for a fortnight.

Earlier, making special mention, Mr Anbazhagan pointed out to deaths in Tamil Nadu and Orissa from administering the vaccine and urged the government to ensure that the vaccines in Puducherry were safe and remove the fear among the people here, particularly those in rural areas.

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