Thursday April 24 2008 14:25 IST
PTI
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday stopped the measles vaccination programme throughout the state with immediate effect following the deaths of four infants on Wednesday after they were given vaccine shots at Tiruvallur.
Announcing this decision to halt the vaccination programme in the state assembly on Thursday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said all the workers of the health department of Tiruvallur district, who administered the vaccine, have been suspended.
He also announced a relief of Rs three lakh each after members cutting across party lines demanded that compensation be paid to the families of four children who died after they were administered the vaccine.
Stating that the programme had been suspended throughout the state, Health Minister M R K Pannerselvam said the Union health ministry had already been informed of the deaths and they would depute a high-level team to Tamil Nadu to enquire into the deaths.
He said over 20,000 children below the age of one were administered the vaccine all over Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, but barring the four cases, there was no report of any casualty.
He said the deaths were caused due to anaphylactic shock and the vaccine samples had been sent to a laboratory in Himachal Pradesh for tests.
Earlier, an AIADMK legislator G Hari, who raised the issue, demanded the resignation of Pannerselvem owning moral responsibility for the incident.
Four children died soon after the vaccine was administered in Katchur Primary Health Centre in Poondi panchayat union of Tiruvallur district.
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