Three-month-old baby dies hours after polio vaccination in Odisha

Tension gripped the Balimunda panchayat under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district after the death of a three-month-old baby girl, allegedly just a few hours after receiving a vaccination at a local Anganwadi Centre on Tuesday.

According to reports, the infant, daughter of Raja Ram Jena from Balimunda village, was administered routine immunization at the Anganwadi Centre on Monday. A few hours later, her parents noticed that the child’s condition had deteriorated. The baby was immediately rushed to Basudevpur Medical Centre for treatment, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.

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“She got a fever soon after she was administered polio. We have not given her any other medicine. At around 10 pm, her mother breastfed her and put her to sleep. However, when her mother woke her up at 4 am, she was no more. We immediately rushed her to Basudevpur Medical Centre, where doctors declared her dead. My daughter was fine, so I suspect the polio vaccination led to her death,” alleged the infant’s father.

The incident has triggered grief and concern among local residents, who have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.

Speaking on the matter, a medical officer at Basudevpur Medical Centre stated that the exact cause of death will be determined only after the post-mortem report is received. Health officials are expected to review vaccination procedures and monitor the situation closely to rule out any negligence or adverse reaction to the vaccine.

The district administration and health department have been informed, and further inquiry is underway.